Myth Wars
by MetalSamamon
Summary: New chapter! Post-Beast Machines conclusion! All questions answered in this chapter! What happened between Beast Wars & Beast Machines? This is that story! Done as a extension of the T.V. series. R
1. Episode 53: BW Rekindled, Pt 1

Quick note from the author: I would like to thank my friends and co-creators of this series; shinmusashi44 and TGping from the TFMaster forums. Withouttheir help and expert drawing abilities; this would not have been possible.

**'Myth Wars': Episode 53: "Beast Wars Rekindled: Part 1: Back to Earth": **

(Author's notes on bottom)

"OOOH! We're finally goin' back to Cybertron!" Rattrap throws his arms up in the air in celebration, "I can hear the dames whistling for me already!"

Optimus Primal, clad in his recently acquired 4-mode optimal form, strolls up to the front of the escape pod where Rhinox is intensely concentrated on piloting the shaky ship.

"Well, Rhinox, have you spotted them yet?" he asks. Rhinox turns to him and shakes his head, "Not yet...you know it is possible that they all made planet fall..." Optimus rubs his chin, "Possible; but unlikely."

He stares out into the vast blankness of space, and smiles. "I know somewhere out there our comrades are waiting for us..." He suddenly turns to Rattrap who's conveniently reclined in an onboard chair, "...and then we'll be on our way home."

"Aw, fer bootin' up cold! Ya mean after all that we've been through on that dirt ball back there; we still ain't goin' back to Cybertron?" Rattrap rises from the over sized chair designed for Autobots and walks up to the giant gorilla leader. Optimus merely peers down at him in disapproval, but knows how badly Rattrap misses Cybertron; and therefore says nothing.

"Well I for one want to rescue my fellow bots!" A voice echoes through the ship as Cheetor appears from a hallway and into the main room.

All eyes turn to him, even Rhinox for a brief moment. As Rhinox turns back around, Optimus nods at Cheetor in approval. "I can't go back to Cybertron with my crew still orbiting Earth..." Primal begins, "...no matter how long it takes, we will rescue them all!"

Rattrap raises an eyebrow upon hearing this, and sighs, "I guess the dames can wait just a tad longer...heh."

He sees Rhinox nod as he pilots the ship to the left with the gigantic controls. "I just wish I were bigger..." Rhinox states as he steers the ship with great difficulty towards a blip on his screen.

"Optimus Primal...Maximize!" the giant gorilla bellows and transforms into his massive robot mode. He casually strides over to an empty chair and has a seat. He laughs a little as he reclines, "I don't know what you're complaining about Rattrap; these chairs fit me just fine." Rattrap gives a quick sarcastic laugh in response, "That's because you've got a big fat gorilla as..."

"EVERYONE! LOOK!" Rattrap gets cut off as Rhinox points out the windshield; "Do you see it?" Primal rises and walks up to the controls and leans on them as he peers out the window. "Is that...?" he asks as Cheetor and Rattrap join him at his side.

Outside, they see a dark shape floating about 1000 yards ahead of them. Even with hardly any light; they could all tell what it was: a stasis pod.

"Told ya!" Cheetor mocks Rattrap, and Rattrap dismisses him with his hands, "Eh, spoil my fun why don't cha?"

Just then they hear footsteps behind them and turn to see Blackarachnia and Silverbolt walk into the room together. "Where have you two been?" Primal asks them, crossing his arms. "Don't ask..." Silverbolt quickly kills the conversation as he and Blackarachnia take seats.

"Oh...so the two love boy-ids decided to get romantic, mm?" Rattrap questions as he waves his fingers at them. "I said 'don't ASK!' " Silverbolt states again, and growls at Rattrap. "Easy Bowser, he didn't mean anything by it..." Blackarachnia coos, and rubs Silverbolt's chin with her finger, "...besides, you know it's true." Silverbolt 'rolls' his optics and sighs, "Yes dear."

"If you three are done arguing..." Rhinox begins as he points at the stasis pod again, "...we've got to retrieve that thing." "I think you mean _those_ things..." Primal states, drawing Rhinox's gaze back out the window.

"Wow, that must be all of them..." Cheetor's mouth hangs open as they all stare as more and more stasis pods come into view, each becoming more lit against the blackness of space as it comes closer to the ship. "At least all the ones that didn't make planet fall…" He turns to Optimus quickly, "…It looks like you were right." Optimus silently nods.

"But that still leaves the problem of who's going to get them?" Rhinox announces. Everyone exchanges glances at each, everyone except Primal.

"I'll go." He boldly states as he walks towards the back of the ship, past the cabins located near the midsection. "WHAT! You can't go out there..." Rhinox begins. "Huh, better him than me..." Rattrap adds.

Optimus turns back to them as he stands at the rear hatch. "I have to go Rhinox...I must. I'm the only one with flight capabilities; at least in space; and therefore it has to be me. Besides, if Megatron tries anything; I'm the only one strong enough to stop him and clamp him back to the hull." Primal states with a sudden smile, "But don't worry, I'll be fine."

They nod at him in agreement, all except Rhinox who shakes his head in regret. Primal takes notice of this, but hides his fears and opens the airlock door.

As the door closes behind him, he watches as the others stare at him until they can be seen no more from the door. It slams shut, and Primal sighs. "Here goes nothing..." He takes a deep breath (for no real reason at all), and holds it.

With a leaking sound, the pressure from the airlock is dropped and the outside doors open. Primal steps out into space, and floats around for a moment before grabbing his bearings and transforms into his jet mode. He rockets out around the side of the ship and patches a channel through to Rhinox.

"Rhinox, can you hear me?" He asks. "Loud and clear...good to hear I might add." Rhinox smiles as he sees Primal float past the side window. "Sometime you worry to much..." Primal laughs and rockets towards the first stasis pod.

"Rhinox, can you maneuver the ship so the rear faces me? I need to load these into the airlock." Primal asks as he latches himself on top of the stasis pod. "Sure Optimus; just give me a nano-click." Rhinox replies as he activates the thrusters and begins to rotate the ship around slowly.

Just then Primal hears a voice. "Just what do you think you're doing Primal?" the voice roars, and Primal looks at the top of the shuttle. "That's none of your business Megatron." he states as he pulls the stasis pod towards the airlock entrance.

Megatron shifts around a little as he tries to break free from his bonds, but settles back after a few seconds, "You're a fool Primal. You actually think your Maximals want me back on Cybertron? Or even you for that matter?" "That's my call..." Optimus stops just outside the entrance, "...and I say they'll be glad to get you back. I bet they have a specially made cell just for you..." Primal transforms into robot mode, and presses the button to unlock the door. Megatron laughs, "Flattery will get you nowhere Optimus, yessss...enjoy this moment while you can."

Optimus sneers upon hearing this, but maintains focus and puts the first pod into the ship. He uses his foot rockets and takes off towards the next pod. "Come on Primal; I know you can hear me...don't you think it gets lonely out here..." Megatron begins with suave in his voice, "...Take me inside and lock me up in there." "No chance Megatron...I like you just where you are!" Primal squints and makes a face at Megatron as he grabs the next pod.

Grunting and groaning, he pulls the rather heavy pod towards the door. As it finally moves in the direction he wants, Primal lets up and lets it float towards the door, only floating along with it to stop it at the entrance.

Megatron moves his head to look at Primal, but can't see him due to his position and the considerable height he is above Primal's position. "At least tell me what you're doing..." Megatron almost sounds like he's pleading, but keeps that certain level of proudness and smirks at his own words; hoping to extract information out of Optimus. Primal looks up at Megatron for only a brief moment, "Don't you ever shut up?"

Several minutes pass, and soon Primal finishes loading in the last pod inside the ship. "Great! That's the last pod!" Primal announces and dusts off his hands as a sign that he's done. "Oh, so that's what it is..." Megatron begins. "You were quiet for a few clicks there; what happened?" Primal laughs as he stands at the entrance to the door. Megatron ignores him, "...those were my protoforms!" "I'd love to stay and chat Megatron, but Cybertron, and your prison cell, await!" Primal proclaims and slams the door shut behind him.

"We shall see Primal...you haven't won yet!" Megatron announces to the vast blackness of space, staring at it as he lays spread-eagle on the hull.

Inside, Primal enters the main room again after the airlock pressurizes, and everyone smiles at him. "Good to see ya Big Bot!" Cheetor gives Optimus the thumbs up. "And to see our comrades again." Rhinox adds, pointing at the stacks of stasis pods behind Optimus.

"So, we're finally going to Cybertron then!" Rattrap asks impatiently. Optimus gives a deep belly laugh, "Yes, Rattrap, we're finally going home."

Everyone starts dancing and rejoicing; and Rhinox watches them celebrate and smiles. He turns around and sits back at the controls, "O.K. everyone, strap yourselves in; I'm taking this bird back to Cybertron!" Rhinox proclaims as he presses a few buttons and pulls a few levers. "You got it big guy!" Rattrap gives him the thumbs up and jumps into his chair. The others follow suit, and everyone buckles in for the trip home.

"Commencing engine thrust...activating hyper-drive..." Rhinox states as he presses a button. Suddenly a giant explosion from the rear rocks the whole ship, and everyone looks around in panic.

"What was that?" Cheetor yells, grabbing the arms of the chair in fear. "Sounds like we lost our engines!" Primal announces as he begins to unbuckle himself. "The ship's diagnostics have been knocked offline…" Rhinox shouts as he whips around in the control chair.

"I'll be right back." Optimus shouts and rises from the chair. "No Optimus! I'll check it out." Rhinox states and holds up his hand to signal Optimus to stop. Primal looks at him, and sits back down. He straps himself back in and nods at Rhinox, "Check it out, but hurry."

Rhinox stomps towards the back of the ship when the ship begins to move under his feet, causing him to fall. "RHINOX!" Cheetor calls out as turns in his seat to see Rhinox lying unconscious on the ground. "We're all gonna DIE!" Rattrap yells, covering his optics in fear. "SHUT UP RATTRAP!" Optimus yells as he unstraps himself and rushes towards Rhinox.

Just then, then ship begins to spin out of control, throwing Optimus across the cabin and slamming him into the pilot's chair. He slumps down onto the ground, and lies there for a moment before the momentum of the ship's spinning lifts him off of the ground and throws him against the other wall. Cheetor ducks as Rhinox flies over him and smashes into the rear of the ship.

But just as the spinning started, it stops as the ship's windshield begins to heat up, and glows bright red with fire. "NO!" Rattrap screams as he looks in horror upon the sight before his optics, "We're going back down!" "Stay close dear..." Silverbolt heroically states as he pulls Blackarachnia close to him as they sit next to each other, strapped in.

Outside, Megatron's body begins to burn as he reenters the atmosphere attached to the ship. "ARRRGGGHHH!" He bellows in pain as he struggles to break free of both the ship and the heat.

Suddenly, his right arm snaps free of his bonds, and he reaches over and breaks the bond on his other arm. "I...must...break...freeeee!" He proclaims as he grinds his teeth from the intense pain. He manages to break the final bonds that hold him, and as he does, he flies off the ship like a bullet and floats away high above the ship...

Meanwhile, back inside, Optimus Primal and Rhinox's bodies are pinned by the centripetal forces against the rear wall of the shuttle. Everyone screams as they watch the ground get closer and closer...

But on Earth, others watch them return as well...

"What?" Waspinator asks as he watches the ship plummets towards Earth, "Max-zimals come back?" The early anthropoids jump about in confusion and wonder as they watch along with Waspinator.

Not far away, in some bushes, a pair of eyes watch Waspinator, and the Autobot shuttle hurdling uncontrollably towards Earth with happiness. "Hmm, so my prey returns..." the spider-esque voice cackles, "...How lovely!" and his evil laugh fills the air...

**Author's Notes:**

What will happen next? Read on to find out...


	2. Episode 54: BW Rekindled, Pt 2

**'Myth Wars': Episode 54: "Beast Wars Rekindled: Part 2: Tarantulas; the commander":**

(Author's Notes on bottom)

"Hmm...this could prove very useful indeed..." the figure in the bushes mutters and exits the brush. Another being stands near him, a fierce strong robot with a wolf's head upon his shoulder and a long-bladed sword. "What is it Master Tarantulas?" the robot asks him. His voice is deep, almost savage and primeval in nature. "Tell me Fenrir; how would feel about going on a hunt?" Tarantulas asks him with a wave of his hand.

Fenrir places a finger upon his chin and rubs it lightly, "What is the prey?" Tarantulas snickers lightly to himself, and clenches his claws with pleasure, "Maximals!"

Meanwhile, on the shuttle; the conscience Maximals are bracing for sudden impact. They all yell and scream in terror as the ground gets closer and closer. As the fire and smoke clear, they see water and earth as they zoom in up the surface; and head straight for a mountain range!

Suddenly, they impact with the surface; and a giant explosion of rock and ice throw debris into the air and the ground shakes uncontrollably as tremendous forces rip the terrain apart and create giant cracks in the surface. Animals flee as a wave of soot flows like a mighty tsunami towards them; but it is useless as everything is engulfed in the wave; trees, animals, bushes; everything. The wave pummels nearby mountains, and scrapes and breaks away pieces of the rock face; destroying the mountains and blasting away giant chunks of rock that hurdle through the air like gigantic asteroids and smash into the ground with the force of a bomb.

The tremors soon reach Tarantulas and Waspinator; and the ground begins to shake uncontrollably; causing the earth to split and create deep fissures. The humanoids run and race around in fear and flee, leaving Waspinator alone and to fend for himself. "Stupid fleshy-bots!" Waspinator cries out and takes off into the air when a giant rock comes out of nowhere and Waspinator turns at that very moment to see the shadow of the rock engulf him. "Why Univerze hate Wazpinator?" He asks as the rock smashes into him and smushes him into the ground.

"Ooh, that brings back memories..." Tarantulas cringes as he watches Waspinator get splatted. "You must tell me about this Master..." Fenrir laughs a little as he holds onto a rock as they tremors start to subside. Tarantulas glares at him with resent, and mutters something under his breath. Finally, the tremors subside; and they get their footing.

Tarantulas shakes his head, and points at Fenrir, "Quickly! We must get back to the cave! We need to reach the Maximals before they awaken!" "Why?" Fenrir asks. "I'll explain later..." Tarantulas begins coolly, and then raises his voice as a command, "...Now move! Beast Mode!" He transforms into his spider mode; and then converts again into his vehicle mode. As his tires get traction on the ground, Fenrir calls out, 'Beast Mode!' and transforms into a giant wolf. Tarantulas races off towards his cave with Fenrir not far behind.

Meanwhile; at the crash site, deep inside the newly created crater, the shuttle hatch opens up and a hand flops out in exhaustion. A head pokes out, and it's Rattrap. "Oy, I forgot how much _fun_ crash landing was..." he mutters and flops to the ground in exhaustion.

Back where Tarantulas was, a tall, slender robot walks up to a giant boulder. The robot is silhouetted against the bright midday Sun, and the robot pulls out two swords. It slices the boulder into pieces with expert swings; and the rock crumbles into pieces as the damaged body of Waspinator lays on the ground under where the rock was with waves of Energon surges running across his body.

The robot looks at Waspinator, and puts away the swords. "Hmm...a flyer..." The robot begins in a sultry female voice as she pries Waspinator free of the ground, "...I may have use for you! Beast Mode!" She transforms into a bird and grabs Waspinator in her talons and carries him away.

"We're dead, right?" Rattrap asks as he regains consciousness and stands outside the ruins of the shuttle. He brushes the dirt off of himself as Cheetor crawls out of the shuttle. "For lack of a better word, yeah." Cheetor replies as he slides onto the ground and rises to his feet.

Suddenly he looks at Rattrap in shock, "The others! Are they alright!" "How in the heck am I supposed to know!" Rattrap quickly retorts and points to the hatch, "Get your butt in dere and find out!" "What about you?" Cheetor asks him as he starts to head back towards the hatch. Rattrap looks out across the landscape, shielding his optics from the bright Sun, "I'm going to find out where in da name of my great ant Arcee we are!"

Back at Tarantulas's cave, he is busily typing away on a control panel. He occasionally looks up at the monitor; but his claws furiously type away at the buttons. Fenrir paces around, his hands upon his hips. "Well Master Tarantulas, you said we were going to hunt Maximals...why aren't we?" he asks impatiently. Tarantulas stops typing and turns around to face him. "Well, before we can hunt them, we have to find them. Do _you_ know where they crashed?" Tarantulas asks him. "No..." Fenrir shakes his head. "There, you see, that's why we're not hunting the Maximals..." Tarantulas turns back to the controls and begins typing again. "Savage!" he mutters under his breath. "Tyrant!" Fenrir retorts as he walks away down one of the tunnels...

Outside the cave entrance, the mysterious robot lands and drops Waspinator's shorting out body on the ground. "Well, looks who's finally back..." Fenrir mutters as he walks out of the cave entrance. The bird eyes him vilely, "Nemesis...Terrorize!" She transforms and lands on the ground near Waspinator's body. "Why did you bring the idiot?" Fenrir points at Waspinator, "You know Tarantulas said that..." "What did I say?" a voice echoes behind Fenrir, and he turns around to see Tarantulas walk out of the cave.

"I may have use for him..." Nemesis mutters as she whips out her swords and points the tip at Fenrir, "...as if it were any of your concern!" "Calmness my dear..." Tarantulas mutters as he waves at Nemesis to lower her weapons. She sneers at him with her eyes since her face is covered by a veil, and she reluctantly puts her swords away.

Tarantulas walks up to Waspinator and lifts his head up. Waspinator's eyes bug out and his mandibles shoot apart as he sees Tarantulas's face. "Tarantulas! You're...you're _alive_!" Waspinator proclaims in shock. "Convert to beast mode Waspinator...you took enough Energon damage just getting here." Tarantulas mutters as Waspinator painfully transforms into his beast mode and lies on the ground from exhaustion.

Tarantulas looks up at Nemesis with a gleam in his optics, "Good work Nemesis..." he starts and Fenrir's mouth drops open in shock. "...now nothing can stop me!" He begins to laugh cruelly, increasing in loudness as throws his arms into the air triumphantly.

Elsewhere...another crater, filled with smoke, smolders as the surrounding landscape burns. A red hand reaches out of the crater rim, and then the head of a dragon lunges out and soon Megatron's head clears the edge as he pulls himself out slowly. "Note to self: Never attempt reentry without a ship...yessss." he mutters as he crawls out onto the land, and a shadow appears over him. "Megatron...just the bot I wanted to see..." a voice snarls from above him. Megatron looks up, and his jaw drops in shock!

**Author's Notes:**

Who's the new bot that has Megatron so shocked? And what are Tarantulas's plans? Read on...


	3. Episode 55: BW Rekindled, Pt 3

**'Myth Wars': Episode 55: "Beast Wars Rekindled: Part 3: Facts of the Past":**

(Author's Notes on bottom)

"By the pit! How did you ever manage to find me?" Megatron asks in surprise as he looks up at the bots standing in front of him. The smaller of the two snarls at him, clenching his fists in anger. "Did you honestly think that I'd just let it go? You left us back on Cybertron…to be caught by those no good Maximals!" he growls and pulls out a sword.

"I needed someone to take the fall; and you don't really think that _I_ was going to; do you!" Megatron retorts and rises from the crater. He stares at the smaller of the two bots eye to eye, and glares at him with contempt. "You still haven't answered my question, Gigatron, how did you find me?"

Gigatron looks directly at him and holds his sword defensively, "It wasn't easy; but after you stole the Golden Disk and had us take the fall for it; I was imprisoned along with my crew. We spent many cycles there planning our vengeance upon you; and finally we managed to escape. We managed to make contact with our Predacon allies on one of the space outposts, and they furnished us with a ship. They gave us the coordinates to lock onto your Transwarp signature, after they identified it following the Transwarp wave that rocked their outpost. Speaking of which; they sent out an agent to track you down, but he did not return…happen to know anything about what happened to Ravage?" Megatron grinned slyly, "He died…a Decepticon."

"Now, with that out of the way, it's time for you to pay!" Gigatron lunges at Megatron, and Megatron launches a fireball out of his dragon hand and it engulfs Gigatron. He races around on fire and the towering bot behind Gigatron reaches down and picks up Megatron by the neck. "You're gonna regret that, punk!" The bot's voice is powerful and drawn out, like an old western cowboy (almost like Clint Eastwood). As he begins to crush Megatron's neck; his face remains expressionless and emotionless.

A sudden cry from below distracts the behemoth, "Tidalwave! Help me!" Gigatron races around in circles trying to put himself out with no luck, and Tidalwave tosses Megatron to the ground and starts patting out Gigatron. Megatron lands on his back, and slowly begins to back away from them, moving slowly with his hands and feet as he pushes himself further and further from the two.

"You should have never come here Gigatron…you'll soon regret this impertinence…oh yessssss!" Megatron sneers coldly, his optics darkening with anger.

Elsewhere, Rattrap stands outside the shuttle with a handheld device, scanning the surrounding area. Cheetor pulls out Rhinox with great difficulty, and places him on the ground. "What's the scoop Ratface?" he asks. Rattrap turns to him briefly and holds up the device, "Ya know, I just don't get it." "What's that?" Cheetor asks him, walking over to his side. "This hunk of junk is supposed to detect our ion particle trail left by the ship's engines, but…" Rattrap scratches his head for a moment, "…It's not picking up anything."

Cheetor looks at him in surprise, "What does that mean?" "Well pussycat, that means one of two things; 1: This hunk of junk ain't workin' properly, or 2: We're really really far away from where we took off from." They exchange looks of fear, and look out across the torched landscape in the bright midday Sun.

Back at Tarantulas's cave, Fenrir is lowering Waspinator into a C.R. tank. Nemesis watches as Waspinator is lowered in, and turns back to see Tarantulas eyeing her suspiciously. "What's your problem?" she asks him, turning around fully to face him. He rubs his chin lightly and blinks, "One thing still doesn't make sense…why did you bring Waspinator?" he asks her, and extends his hand out to exemplify the question. Nemesis merely looks away from him and proceeds to walk away towards one of the adjacent caverns. "I have my reasons…" She mutters as she walks into the tunnel and disappears into the darkness.

"Why do you trust her Master Tarantulas?" Fenrir asks as he makes his way towards him, drawing Tarantulas attention away from the dark tunnel. "Who said I did?" he quickly retorts and transforms into his beast mode.

Fenrir stands there silent for a long moment, and watches Tarantulas scurry away to one of the computers. There, Tarantulas uses his spider legs to type at a few keys, and suddenly a map of the surrounding area pops up and a smaller image appears in a pop-up window in the top right corner. "Finally!" Tarantulas cries out. "What is it?" Fenrir asks as he strolls over to Tarantulas's side and looks at the screen. Tarantulas uses one of his spider legs to point at the small image in the corner of the screen. "I've found it!" Tarantulas declares, still pointing. "Found what?" Fenrir asks as he leans a little closer to look at the small image of a ship in the corner of the screen. "The Maximals!" Tarantulas snickers…

Gigatron breathes in deeply and sighs aloud, "Finally! I didn't think I'd ever be put out!" His body is blackened with burn marks, but his body is otherwise alright. "Yeah, we'll show the punk Megatron that no one messes with us!" Tidalwave announces as they both turn to look at Megatron. "HE'S GONE!" Gigatron screams as he touches the side of his head, and a pair of goggles drop down in front of his eyes from under his helmet, "Depth-range scan!" Tidalwave looks out across the lands, but the smoke from the smoldering landscape clouds his view. "Now where did that low down pile of red junk go?" he slams his fists together in anger, a deafening sound emitting from their collision.

From Gigatron's view, he sees a cloud of smoke in the distance coming from Megatron in his dragster mode. "I've found him!" he points in the direction that he saw Megatron as the goggles retract back up into his helmet. "Let's get 'em!" Tidalwave yells and points in the same direction. "BEAST MODE!" They both cry out as they transform and race off after him.

Back at the shuttle's crash site, Cheetor and Rattrap struggle to pull the unconscious Optimus out of the shuttle. "So, you're telling us that we're about 1,000 clicks north from where we took off?" Silverbolt asks as he stands next to Blackarachnia. "Yeah, now quit ya yappin' Bird-dog and help us get Optimus outta here!" Rattrap yells between grunts. Silverbolt sighs and walks up the side of the shuttle, followed by Blackarachnia. They grab onto Optimus's body, and the four of them pull as hard as they can.

"I still can't see how you got us out of the shuttle…" Silverbolt says as he pulls. Cheetor looks down into the shuttle and notices something. "Yeah, well you weren't hung up on the frame of the door like Optimus is…" he points inside, and the rest look at what he's pointing at as they continue pulling. "Maybe, if we move him this way a little…" Blackarachnia begins as she pushes Optimus's body up and suddenly Optimus's body breaks free of the door frame. They all fly into the air, releasing Optimus. They all scream as they fly through the air and smash into the ground. Rattrap looks up quickly to see Optimus's body free-falling towards them, "Oh no, this ain't gonna be pretty…"

"Where is that slime ball going?" Gigatron asks as they race after Megatron. He has a considerable lead on them, and he seems to be gaining distance from them. "I don't know Gigatron, but he ain't gonna get away from us; not this time!" Tidalwave replies as they continue after him.

Meanwhile, inside Tarantulas's cave, he is in vehicle mode waiting at the entrance of the exit tunnel. "Is Waspinator repaired?" he asks Fenrir. Fenrir turns to look at him, "I'll check." He wenches Waspinator out of the C.R. tank, and Waspinator twitches as he regains conscience. "Wazpinator is…still functional!" he buzzes and transforms into robot mode. "He appears to be back to normal…" Fenrir begins. "…If you can call it that."

Tarantulas opens a communications channel, "Nemesis, are you coming? We're moving…" Tarantulas asks. Suddenly Nemesis appears out of one of the tunnels and nods silently. "Excellent! Let's move!" Tarantulas turns around and races into the tunnel, followed by Fenrir, Nemesis and Waspinator.

As Nemesis is getting ready to leave, she happens to glance over at Waspinator. Waspinator smiles in his funny little way, and transforms into a wasp, and flies off after Fenrir and Tarantulas. "What was that all about?" Nemesis asks herself as she transforms into her beast mode and flies after the others.

"That was too close!" Cheetor exclaims as they all stand around Optimus's body, "I thought for sure Bigbot was going to land on us!" "Luckily for us he didn't!" Silverbolt exclaims. "So, now what do we do?" Blackarachnia asks, holding her arms up in confusion.

Rattrap thinks to himself for a moment and holds his index fingers on both hands up, "O.K. we can't stay here…we need to get back to the Ark." He announces. "Why?" Cheetor asks him. "We need to get Rhinox and the boss monkey back online as soon as possible, and the Ark'll have restoration equipment there…" he suddenly stops and quickly turns back to look at the shuttle, "Uh oh, we got a bigger problem!" "What?" Everyone asks him at once as Rattrap points to the top of the shuttle which is sticking out of the ground. "Do any of you see anything missing, particularly something big, red and ugly?" he asks them. "MEGATRON!" They all suddenly announce, exchanging glances of terror.

Meanwhile, about 1,000 miles south of them, Tarantulas and his crew race across the grassy valley terrain towards a lake near the mountain range they just left. "Unless my internal compass is off…" Fenrir begins addressing Tarantulas, "…the Maximals are north of us; and north is the other direction!" Tarantulas slows a little to drive alongside Fenrir as they continue. "We're not heading for the Maximals just yet…" Tarantulas begins. Fenrir's eyes bug out, "WHAT!"

Suddenly, Tarantulas stops and transforms into robot mode. The others stop and transform as well as they follow Tarantulas as he walks towards a cliff edge. "You don't think ahead, do you Fenrir?" Tarantulas asks him as he walks up to the edge. Fenrir doesn't answer, as he and the others walk up to the edge as well, and peer out to see a vast lake with a distant shoreline across the way. The water is remarkably clear, and they look around at the area. "Why are we here?" Nemesis asks.

She feels something near her, and she turns to see Waspinator standing really close to her. She whips out her swords and arches one of them into the air and swings it down at Waspinator's neck. Waspinator watches in horror as the blade comes down towards his neck, and it stops just mere inches from his neck with expert timing. "Consider this a warning bug-boy…keep your distance." she mutters as she slowly removes the sword from his neck area and puts both swords away. She steps away and looks out across the lake again, but Waspinator smiles at her and grins smugly.

"How long do you think it will take us to cross 1,000 clicks on foot?" Tarantulas asks Fenrir, unaware of what just happened with Nemesis and Waspinator. "A long time…" Fenrir mutters as he begins to see what Tarantulas is saying. Tarantulas points down into the water and they all notice a shadowy figure in the water that resembles a large battleship. "Now, if we were to take a ship, particularly one that I've been working on for sometime now; wouldn't that be much faster?" he asks them. They all nod slowly in agreement. Tarantulas snickers to himself lightly, "And what could be more perfect than following in the footsteps of history…" He starts to laugh cruelly and he throws his arms into the air triumphantly!

But all this time, far far away from Earth in a distant realm, somebody was watching this all transpire…

"The unit has survived…we have been tricked!" one of the beings tells another one as it floats around in their realm. "The Vok are not to be taken as fools! We must act with great haste if we are to stop this unit from contaminating our project any further…" One of the floating heads snarls at the other, and summons four bodies. As the bodies are summoned, it becomes apparent that one is the badly damaged and broken body of Tigerhawk, and the next two are the shattered shells and remnants of Depthcharge and Rampage. Also, another body is brought forth, but this one is unrecognizable, and closely resembles a Quintesson elite; a rarely seen type of Quintesson. "We must send our new mercenaries…the project will again be sterilized!"

**Author's Notes:**

What is Megatron heading for? What are the Maximals going to do? What will the Vok do to 'sterlize the project'? And what in the heck is Waspinator thinking! Keep watching...


	4. Episode 56: BW Rekindled, Pt 4

**'Myth Wars': Episode 56: "Beast Wars Rekindled: Part 4: Flight of the Antagony":**

(Author's Notes on bottom)

"Ah, yes; my moment of glory has come at last…" Tarantulas begins as he laughs in cruel triumph. The others merely stare at him as he laughs insanely and pulls out a device. "Now, my loyal troops, witness the event millions of years in the making!"

He extends an antenna on the device, and after pressing a few simple buttons the ground begins to shake; lightly at first but growing in intensity. "What's going on here!" Fenrir yells as he tries to maintain his balance.

"Look! In the water!" Nemesis shouts as she points down to the lagoon. The water begins to bubble up and foam as a giant tower of dark gray metal rises up from the center. "By the slag of Unicron; it can't be!" Nemesis screams in utter shock and bewilderment. Tarantulas turns back to them as the rest of ship rises out of the water; and the full bulk of the vessel covers the horizon, "Yes my dear…_that_ is a Decepticon warship!"

Elsewhere…

"Hmm…it can't too much further…" Megatron ponders to himself as he races at top speed away from Gigatron and Tidalwave. "Well, on the bright side, at least we won't have a hard time trackin' that low-down piece of red slag!" Tidalwave comments quickly to Gigatron, "He's left a smoke trail a blind Piranhacon could follow!"

"Don't underestimate him, Tidalwave…" Gigatron begins, "Remember what he did to us last time?" Tidalwave sighs deeply but keeps pace, "How could I forget?" "Either way, it doesn't matter now…I know that Megatron is up to something; but what?" Gigatron asks as they continue in hot pursuit.

"Ah fer bootin' up cold!" Rattrap shouts as he stomps his foot into the ground in disappointment. "What's the matter?" Blackarachnia asks him. "Der is no way we're gonna make it back to the Ark draggin' _Optimus's big behind_!" Rattrap shouts as he tosses down the handle of the crudely fashioned stretcher that he's using to drag Optimus on. "Well, I'm not going to pull him all by myself!" Blackarachnia shouts, still holding the other handle of the stretcher. "Do not worry; if Rattrap will not accept the burden of carrying our leader back to the Ark; then I will assist you, my dear." Silverbolt states chivalrously. "Oh sure; and just leave me to drag Rhinox then; is that your plan?" Cheetor quickly adds in as he and Silverbolt almost simultaneously stop pulling Rhinox on his stretcher. "Stay out of this, little cat; this does not concern you!" Silverbolt announces with a stop sign hand gesture. "_Little_ cat!" Cheetor threatens, "How about this_ little _cat tears the _big_ dog a new exhaust port!" Silverbolt growls and sneers at Cheetor; but Cheetor doesn't back down. "Hey! You wanna ask me that?" Blackarachnia buts in and points threateningly at Cheetor. "Stay out of this, spider!" Cheetor growls in anger. No sooner than saying this does Silverbolt draw his wing tip weapons, "Watch your tongue, _little_ cat!" Silverbolt interludes.

"Can't we all just get along?" Rattrap asks innocently. "BUTT OUT!" everyone shouts at him at the same moment. "Well, no one tells _me_ what to do!" Rattrap retorts and walks over to the others as they continue arguing. "I'm warning you Cheetor…back down!" Silverbolt states with a serious tone. "Oh, is that supposed to scare me or something?" Cheetor mocks. "You know, I should be kickin' back on Cybertron right now; sippin' dirty mech fluid while the topless servant bots serve me hand and foot!" Rattrap quickly interjects. "You'll be lucky to have a foot left when I'm finished with you!" Blackarachnia shouts, turning to face him. "Oh, is that so, eight-eyes?" Rattrap quickly counters. "Why you little!" Blackarachnia tackles Rattrap and starts punching him in the face.

"Blackarachnia!" Silverbolt quickly turns to see her and Rattrap duking it out as they roll and wrestle around on the ground. "Don't you ever get tired of protecting her?" Cheetor comments sarcastically. "Cheetor; I do not wish to fight you…" Silverbolt states, withholding his built up anger. "I don't think you have a choice!" Cheetor grabs his gun and fires upon Silverbolt, causing him to fall to the ground injured.

"Silverbolt!" Blackarachnia quickly shouts as she sees Silverbolt go down, and looks up to see Cheetor cower in fear as he sees the anger on her face, "BIG MISTAKE!" She releases Rattrap and races towards Cheetor; but suddenly a whip snaps her in the back and she falls to the ground. "Shouldn't 've turned your back on the stainless steel rat!" Rattrap faults his hand to drive home the point, and puts away his whip. He suddenly turns to his right to see Silverbolt charging at him, weapons in hand, "You'll soon regret that, mouse!" he leaps to the air and dives towards Rattrap, weapons extended in front of him. "Oooh boooooy!" Rattrap gulps as Silverbolt smashes into him and begins to beat him senseless with his wing tip blades in rhythmic swings. Blackarachnia shakes off the blow, and rises to her feet only to see Cheetor standing above her. "I'm not finished with you yet!" Cheetor shouts and attacks Blackarachnia as she gives him a swift roundhouse kick across the head and starts beating the hell out of him.

As the battle ensues, a giant shadow towers over them all and slowly they all stop fighting and stare up at the silhouette engulfing them. "Well…it looks like you four have got some explaining to do!" Optimus states as he crosses him arms and stares at them in disappointment. "Uh boy, we're in for it now!" Rattrap quickly adds, and plops back onto the ground from exhaustion.

Meanwhile…

"Situation does not make sense to Waspinator…" Waspinator begins as he scratches his head lightly, "Wazpinator remembers Nemesis being destroyed!" "I'll bet that little does make sense to you, bug-boy…" Nemesis begins as she turns to Tarantulas, "but he does have a point. Is this the Nemesis?" she asks. Tarantulas cackles a little and presses another button; causing the ship to turn and float towards them, "Although Waspinator is hardly ever right; he is correct about this. This is not the Nemesis…" he states as he stops the ship at the edge of the cliff and the doors unfold to extend a ramp, "This is the Antagony!"

Fenrir rubs his chin lightly, "This all sounds great; but it still doesn't make sense Master Tarantulas," he begins, "I mean even with my basic knowledge of history…" he grins slightly as he states this, "even I know that there were only 2 ships that crashed to Earth in regards to Autobots and Decepticons; the Ark and the Nemesis."

"Well, you are correct to a point, Fenrir…" Tarantulas states as he walks into the ship; the others follow. "You see, ages ago when the Ark was launched from Cybertron; it was pursued by the Nemesis; but any fool knows that Decepticon warships always hunt in packs…" They walk down the silent hall and the others look around at the deactivated Decepticons laying all around the floor of the ship. "You see, the Antagony was the backup vessel for the Nemesis; ready to assist at a moment's notice."

Suddenly, Tarantulas's voice becomes somber as he walks onward, "However, they never got a chance to engage in battle; instead they kept a safe distance away from the Nemesis as it attacked the Ark; and during their battle a few stray missiles managed to find their way to the Antagony; and blew apart the engines; causing severe damage."

They all listen intently as he continues recounting the tale, "The Decepticons in the Antagony quickly alerted the Nemesis of their situation, but by this time almost all of the crew had boarded the Ark; leaving only Ramjet, Dirge, and Thrust behind to man the Nemesis. However, those _fools_ didn't know how to help the Antagony; and suggested that the crew of the Antagony make temporary orbit and try to repair their engines while they attempted to contact Megatron to alert him of the situation and to get his advice."

They continue down the hall, passing each Decepticon; their emotions and poses captured as they fell into emergency stasis lock. "But by that time, the Ark had already began to plunge into the atmosphere; as Optimus Prime, Megatron, and the others battled inside the descending ship. A few final shots from the Ark hit their mark on the Nemesis; and it too came crashing down to Earth; the Ark into the mountain; and the Nemesis into the sea." Tarantulas walks through the open pilots door of the Antagony; it's immense size miniaturizing him. The others follow him.

"But with their now-limited resources and even further limited knowledge; the Decepticons on board the Antagony were unable to repair the ship; and as their orbit slowly decayed over Earth; the ship slowly came closer and closer to Earth's atmosphere; until it finally could maintain orbit no longer; and crashed here; in this lagoon." Tarantulas states as he points out the front of the cockpit at the lagoon below.

"However; thanks to the amount of work they did manage to do to the engines; I was able to finish their work and restore the engines to working order; and now; we have a fully functional Decepticon warship at our disposal!" Tarantulas throws his head back and laughs evilly. "Ooh, I do like the way you think…" Nemesis states as she nods approvingly. "That's some story Master Tarantulas; and even though all the pieces do seem to make sense; how do I know you're not lying?" Fenrir asks inquisitively. "Yeah, how spider-bot know all this!" Waspinator adds, drawing a look from Fenrir. "Because I am Tarantulas! Do I need to explain _everything_ to you!" Tarantulas snaps.

At the same time… "Transwarp signature located!" Megatron's internal systems voice announces. "Excellent! It appears that Gigatron is just as gullible as he was back on Cybertron…yessssss!" Megatron states as he continues speeding away from his pursuers. "Quickly, hone in on that signature!" he commands. "Acknowledged." his internal computer states, and a small target appears in his view; with a small map-like grid in the top corner with X marking his destination. "Excellent…now only if those fools can keep pace with me!" Megatron states as he increases his speed and takes off full throttle.

Back with the Maximals… "Uh…well…ya see Optimus…it's like this…" Cheetor begins as he rubs the back of his head lightly in shame. "I don't want to hear it! First you tell me that we've crashed back to Earth; then that Megatron _somehow_ managed to escape, then you tell me that we're somewhere about 1,000 clicks north of where we left and that you have no clue where we are; and I wake up to find you all fighting like little children instead of working together to either repair the shuttle or figure out a way to get back to Ark!" Optimus glares down at them menacingly, "So I ask you this, Cheetor; what could you possibly tell me that I already don't know? What could possibly make this situation any worse!"

"Well…uh Bigbot; first let me say…" Cheetor begins when Optimus suddenly cuts him off. "You know; right now I really don't want to hear it! I got a headache the size of Cybertron itself; and I don't need to hear this right now! Whatever it is; it can wait until we get back to the Ark!" "But Bigbot…" Cheetor begins. "I _said_ I don't want to hear it; did I not make myself clear!" Optimus bends down and stares Cheetor in the face. "Crystal." Cheetor quickly replies; and Optimus stands up straight and turns to Rattrap. "And what are you laughing at!" Rattrap quickly stops, "Uh nothin'…uh, let's just get back to the Ark…hehe." Rattrap adds an innocent smile.

Back on the Antagony. "And now, you all shall witness my moment of triumph!" Tarantulas shouts as he grabs the controls of the ship the best he can; considering the height difference between Decepticons and Predacons. He pushes a lever with all of he strength; and the Antagony's engines roar and the ship begins to move forward. "Quickly Fenrir; take Waspinator and try to revive the crew. We may need their assistance…" Tarantulas commands; and both Fenrir and Waspinator salute Tarantulas, reply with a 'Yes sir!' and race off down the hall.

"And what do you want me to do?" Nemesis asks, approaching Tarantulas. "You will ready the weapons and maintain a watch of the ships diagnostics." Tarantulas commands without even looking away from the windshield. "As you command, my captain…" Nemesis adds with a little slyness in her voice; and walks off towards the rear of the ship. Tarantulas places a finger upon his mouth as he watches Nemesis walk away, but quickly turns back to the controls. "And now…for the Maximals!" His evil insane laugh fills the ship as he pushes another lever forward, and the Antagony soars once again!

"Objective within 2 clicks." Megatron's internal computer alerts him. "Excellent!" He peers over his shoulder to see a thick cloud of dust behind him. "Hmm…" he mutters to himself as he looks ahead; smiles, and transforms into robot mode, stopping as he skids to a halt with his feet. As the dust begins to clear; he sees Gigatron and Tidalwave not more than a few clicks behind him. "Perfect!" Megatron shouts as he runs the last few feet towards his objective, and a door suddenly drops down from the object. "Oh, could this be any easier! He left it unlocked and with the keys in the ignition!" Megatron laughs as he runs up the ramp. "Oh, I so love using my enemies own weapons against them!" he states as he races up to the front and grabs the controls.

At that precise moment, Gigatron and Tidalwave reach Megatron and suddenly stop in horror. "Oh no! He's using our own ship against us!" Gigatron yells. "Tidalwave…Terrorize!" he yells as he transforms into robot mode. "Gigatron…Terrorize!" Gigatron yells as he follows suit and transforms. "Now, my former partner; you will taste my wrath! Oh yessssss!" Megatron screams as he presses a few buttons as gun platforms raise out of the top of the ship. Gigatron and Tidalwave cower in fear as the guns charge up.

"Ahahahahahaha!" Megatron laughs with furious and evil passion as the ship begins to rise. "Targets acquired." The ships onboard computer announces as a pair of crosshairs center onto images of Gigatron and Tidalwave on a screen in front of Megatron. "Well, it's nice to see that Predacon technology hasn't changed over all these years…" Megatron comments with a slight grin. "On my signal…FIRE!" Megatron shouts as he points at the screen, and the cannons charge up and fire glowing laser blasts at their targets.

**Author's Notes:**

The Antagony? What's Tarantulas going to do next? And what of Megatron...will he destroy his former partner? Don't forget the Maximals who have problems of their own; but are soon to encounter more...Keep reading to find out what happens next!


	5. Episode 57: BW Rekindled, Pt 5

**'Myth Wars': Episode 57: "Beast Wars Rekindled: Part 5: The heroes arrive**": 

(Author's notes on bottom)

Outside Gigatron and Tidalwave suddenly jump out of the way as a couple of laser blasts pierce the air and explode upon impact; leaving dark black craters. "SLAG!" Megatron slams his fist into the controls, "FIRE AGAIN! DO NOT CEASE FIRING UNTIL THE TARGETS HAVE BEEN OBLITERATED!"

Gigatron and Tidalwave race around frantically as they try to dodge shot after shot. "We can't keep dis up forever Boss!" Tidalwave shouts as he barely manages to miss shot after close shot. "That's exactly what I was thinking…" Gigatron shouts as he stops in mid-dash and races towards the ship, "…We've got to get Megatron out of there!" Tidalwave suddenly stops too and races after Gigatron towards the ship. They jump from left to right as they narrowly miss each laser blast. "Hmm…these two are more efficient than I recall…perhaps I need to _upgrade_ my defenses." Megatron comments as he flips a switch; and the two are flung back into the air as a shield suddenly appears around the ship; making a liquid-like sound as it activates. "Playtime's over, Gigatron…" Megatron states as the ship rises even higher; realigning the guns upon the knocked-down Predacons, "…You should have stayed out of the Beast Wars!"

Elsewhere, a herd of deer quietly graze on some grass at the edge of a forest near a creek. All of a sudden the ground begins to tremble; growing in intensity. The deer quickly look up in confusion; and soon the sound of engines can be heard and the deer take off in different directions as the trees begin to topple over and the massive bulk of the Antagony appears over the tops of the trees; flying so low that it takes them out.

Inside, Tarantulas, with one hand on the throttle and one on the joystick, laughs with insane glee. "Why do you always laugh like that?" Nemesis asks him with an odd look. Tarantulas stops laughing suddenly and turns to face her, "Because I'm crazy! You know; cracked in the nutshell, bats in the belfry, a few cards short of a full deck, a few clowns and a lion-tamer short of a circus; name your metaphor!" He snickers a little as Nemesis backs away slightly in disgust, "The fact is that I'm insane; or at least so I'm told." She sighs as turns back to the dashboard and fiddles with some controls as the Antagony presses on.

Meanwhile, back with the Maximals…

"Well since we aren't going to Cybertron…" Silverbolt begins, "Tell me what's it's like." Optimus suddenly stops in his tracks. Silverbolt cowers back a little, "Sorry…perhaps another time." "What's what like?" Optimus asks. "You know, Cybertron; the Maximals, your mission, everything!" Silverbolt states as they all continue on walking; he and Cheetor dragging Rhinox on the stretcher. "Well, you see…" Optimus begins, "Back before this whole mess started; I was a general in the Maximal army. I was like any other young inexperienced solider; I just wanted to become a great leader like Optimus Prime." Optimus explains. "Really?" Silverbolt asks with a puzzled look. "Let me explain…" Optimus begins, "You see; in the Maximal army, the next step was Commander, then Lieutenant, then Convoy. And Convoy was the ultimate level of authority; at least in the Maximal chain of command; it was slightly different for the Autobots." "This all doesn't make sense, Optimus…I thought the leaders were called Prime?" Silverbolt comments.

"I'm getting to that…" Optimus states. "Technically the rank is called Convoy; and the leaders themselves are called Prime. It's hard to explain; some bots call them Prime and others call them Convoy…but they really don't seem to mind either name. " Optimus explains, "You see, back on Cybertron there were a few 'Convoys' in the Maximal chain of command; LioConvoy, who managed space exploration, Big Convoy, who maintained order and peace, and lastly Wing Convoy, who managed the Predacons. However, when Megatron stole the Golden Disk, Wing Convoy was severely reprimanded for his lack in duties. But he was not one to be discouraged, and he passed an order down through his lieutenants."

"What order was that Optimus?" "To get someone to track down Megatron, and bring him back to face justice!" Optimus stated and slammed his fists together. "Heh yeah…and guess whose shoulders he put _that_ burden on?" Rattrap interjects. Silverbolt nods his head lightly. "Well, originally we were a space exploration ship sent out by LioConvoy. He informed me that if anything happened, to alert him immediately and that he would gather a crew to find and rescue us." Optimus starts.

"But things didn't go as planned. Instead, Wing Convoy contacted me, and informed me of the situation with Megatron. I argued that we were not only on a routine space exploration mission; but we also had a secret mission to get rid of Rampage…" Optimus sighs, "…But he wasn't willing to listen. He knew that if Megatron wasn't caught and returned to Cybertron that his own tail would be in a sling; and so he made me a Commander and gave me the assignment of tracking down Megatron."

"Wow…sounds like this Wing Convoy guy was really self-centered and mean." Silverbolt states. "Not so much mean; or even self-centered for that matter; he was just…wise. He'd been through many battles, and he knew how to handle things and clean up messes. He would much sooner use one of his men than himself to do his dirty work." Optimus explains defensively. "Hmm…" Silverbolt merely mutters as he looks away. "But that's all in the past now…" Optimus sighs as he sees a mountain range not too far off in the distance, "But we've got bigger problems right now to worry about."

"Hey Bigbot…" Cheetor asks as he and Silverbolt drag Rhinox on the stretcher, "Do you think that's the mountain range where the Ark crashed?" Rattrap makes a noise, "Not likely…unless the mountain range somehow magically migrated about 1,000 clicks north!" Rattrap giggles a little. Cheetor sighs, "Ah, I was hoping…" "Remember, all the continents are still connected. Who knows where the Ark will end up; much less this mountain range." Optimus states as they continue on.

"Any progress on the weapons Nemesis?" Tarantulas asks. "Well, the main missile launcher appears to be in working order, and the external guns are operational as well…" she begins and turns to face Tarantulas for a moment, "I believe that we're in business!" "Excellent!" Tarantulas comments happily, "Now, if only Waspinator and Fenrir are having the same luck with the Decepticons…" "And what about the Decepticons?" an unfamiliar voice asks from behind them.

Tarantulas and Nemesis whip around; both drawing their weapons; but recoil in horror at what they see. "I suppose you are Tarantulas; the one the wolf keeps calling Master…" the massive bot states, his voice callous and gruff. "And you would be…?" Tarantulas asks with fear in his voice. "I…" he begins as he steps into the light inside the cockpit, "…am MegaZarak!"

"Oh…so they did succeed in awakening you all from stasis lock…" Tarantulas rubs his chin, "Hmm…amazing!" "Yes…however, I'm not too sure about this new alternate mode; it's seems…unnatural." MegaZarak comments. "What _exactly_ do you transform into?" Tarantulas asks. "Well, from what the wolf has explained to me, we Decepticons get downsized into you Predacons, and so that's exactly what they did. They used a device on me that you gave them and I emerged like this; smaller and with a giant snake monster alt mode, called a Jormungand."

Nemesis nods her head slightly in approval, "That's very interesting; I'm a Roc!" she comments. "What's a Roc; and what's your name?" MegaZarak asks. "A Roc is a mythological bird of prey; and my name is Nemesis!"

Suddenly MegaZarak holds his hands in the air in shock. "THE NEMESIS! WHAT HAPPENED TO IT!" he shouts! "Well, my friend…" Tarantulas states as he points to Nemesis to take over the controls. She nods and resumes the pilot's task. Tarantulas walks up to MegaZarak; only slightly smaller than him now, "…I guess I'd better explain everything; starting at the beginning of the Beast Wars!"

Elsewhere…

"Stand still and face your death like real Predacons!" Megatron commands from inside their ship as he continues firing upon them. "We have to bring down dem shields 'n take out Megatron!" Tidalwave shouts as they continue avoiding being scrapped. "Perhaps it's time for a tactical retreat…" Gigatron states slyly, and Tidalwave looks at him puzzled, but then catches on.

"WHAT!" Megatron screams as he watches the two Predacons run away and transform, "COWARDS! Come back here!" He quickly presses a few controls and pulls a lever, "Fine then! You leave me with no other option than to chase you down!" Suddenly red lights flash inside the cabin and sirens go off. "Warning! Fuel reserves dangerously low; any further expenditures will result in total systems failure." The onboard computer alerts him. Megatron slams his fist into the screen with full force; shattering it. "BLAST IT ALLLLLL!" He screams and sinks slowly into the chair and breathes deeply, "Oh well…I suppose here's as good as any place to begin planning for the future…yessssss!"

Back with the Maximals…

"Why don't we just fly? It would be so much faster." Silverbolt asks. "No! Not all of us can fly, Silverbolt; and I want to keep the group together…" Optimus starts, "You know, in case anything should happen." All of a sudden the ground begins to shake a little, "Uh…Optimus…" Rattrap begins with a shaky voice. "What is it Rattrap?" Optimus asks, a little worried. "I think something's going to happen!"

"What's going on?" Blackarachnia asks as the tremors grow in intensity. "Well, everyone, I got some good news, and I got some bad news." Rattrap states as he scans across the landscape towards the mountains. "So, what's the good news?" Optimus asks. "I see a ship!" Rattrap states. "Good! Maybe it's here to rescue us!" Cheetor adds in. "Uh…that's the bad news…" Rattrap gulps as the ship comes into view, "It ain't no Maximal ship; that's a Decepticon battle cruiser!"

The Antagony descends through the thick clouds near the tops of the mountains and hovers just below the cloud layer; in full range of the Maximals. "Quickly everyone! Battle positions!" Optimus commands as they all scatter and take cover behind some small boulders.

"Commander Tarantulas! The Maximals are in range!" Nemesis shouts back. No sooner than she does this does Tarantulas come racing into the cockpit. "I'll take the controls! You and MegaZarak take the guns!" he commands as he rushes up to the controls and pilots the ship towards the Maximals, still a few miles away. MegaZarak rushes in and grabs the controls. "Actually, I'll handle the guns; this is my ship after all." MegaZarak comments, and Nemesis stares up at him in contempt.

"Fine; then I'll find something else to do!" she states as she walks into the main cabin; and finds Fenrir and Waspinator standing next to a few other bots; unfamiliar to her. "Let me guess; you guys are the Decepticons, right?" she asks. "Yes, my name is Myrimidon, and this is Six-Shot, and that's Skar." he states as he points to each of the new Predacons. "Well, aren't we the happy little bunch?" Nemesis comments sarcastically. "Oh yes…Waspinator very happy!" Waspinator shakes his head up and down and smiles at her. "Remind me again why I saved him?" she asks herself quietly as she covers her face in shame.

"Do you really think they're our enemies Bigbot?" Cheetor asks him as they watch the ship draw closer, "I mean we were wrong about Ravage when he came here." All of a sudden laser blasts start exploding all around them. "Does that answer your question!" Rattrap shouts as he takes out his gun and starts firing upon the ship. "Yep!" Cheetor gulps and starts firing upon the ship too.

"Stupid Maximals…they never learn!" Tarantulas snickers as he pilots the ship high above the Maximals. "Don't they realize that we're out of range?" MegaZarak comments. "One thing you'll quickly learn about Maximals, MegaZarak…" Tarantulas gestures with his hand as he looks at him, "…they're always ready to fight; even if there is no fight."

Blast after blast pummels the ground, sending the Maximals flying into the air as the ground literally explodes around them. "Ah, what else could go wrong!" Rattrap shouts. "Don't ask!" Blackarachnia screams. "Too late!" Silverbolt points up in the air as he fires his wing-tip missiles at the Antagony.

Suddenly, the clouds above them start to part; and the form of a ship appears. "Oh boy…we're all gonna die!" Rattrap shouts. "Hold on a second…Is that what I think it is?" Optimus shouts as he watches the ship descend. "Ah no way…that looks just like the Axalon!" Rattrap yells. "Yes…they've finally come!" Optimus throws his arms in the air triumphantly as laser blasts explode all around him.

"Tarantulas! I'm picking something up on radar!" MegaZarak announces. "WHAT!" Tarantulas yells as he races over to MegaZarak quickly. "It's…some kind of ship…" MegaZarak states. Tarantulas examines the image on the screen. "Hmm…that shape…" Suddenly his voice and expression fade to sadness, "NO! It can't be!" "What is it Tarantulas?" MegaZarak asks him. "Quickly! Concentrate your fire on that ship!" Tarantulas screams as MegaZarak re-aims the guns at the ship as it level out with them and faces them head on.

The crew is tossed around inside the other ship by shot after shot from the Antagony. "They've taken out our lighting system!" One of the crew shouts as they move around in near darkness. "You do realize that's a Decepticon battle cruiser!" another of the crew shouts. "Yes, I'm well aware of that fact Snarl…and that's why we have to take it down!" The pilot shouts as he pushes a few buttons and gun ports open and begin firing upon the Antagony.

"You nitwit! You didn't raise the shields!" Tarantulas screams at MegaZarak as the ship shakes and rumbles as each blast hits. "Don't blame me for you incompetence!" MegaZarak snaps back. "What's going on Master Tarantulas? Is there anything I can do?" Fenrir shouts as he rushes into the pilot's bay; accompanied by the rest of the crew. "Fenrir, try to raise the shields! Nemesis and Waspinator, ready the main gun!" Tarantulas commands as the ship tosses them about in the cabin. "And what about us?" Six-Shot asks as he grabs a hold of one of the chairs. "Prepare yourselves…" MegaZarak begins with a sly grin, "…We're going to board to their ship!"

They quickly race to the back of the ship as explosion after explosion rocks the ship. Fenrir frantically taps on keys on the a control panel, "It's no use Tarantulas! I can't raise the shields!" He screams as a sudden blast sends him flying across the ship and smashes him into a wall. "SLAG! I will not be defeated!" Tarantulas yells as he grabs the controls and forces the ship into an upward climb.

"What in the heck're they doing?" Rattrap asks as he points at the Antagony. "Beats me…" Cheetor responds as they all watch the Antagony rise above the other ship, and the bottom of the Antagony splits open and a giant missile launcher is revealed. "Oh no…" Optimus states in sheer horror as he watches the events unfold right before his eyes.

Soon the Antagony rises above the clouds and Tarantulas snickers with delight. Just then, he hears footsteps behind him and he turns around quickly. "What in the inferno are you doing!" MegaZarak screams, "We can not board their ship with you moving it!" "I've got a better plan…" Tarantulas sneers as he turns around and presses a big red button, and the ship rocks as the giant missile from under their ship launches and heads straight for the other ship.

"Sir! I've an object closing in fast! What should we do?" one of the crew of the Maximal's ship asks frantically as he waits for an answer. "Compose yourself Warpath…" the pilot sighs deeply, "We're not going down without a fight!" Suddenly a huge explosion rips through their ship as their shields shatter and flames engulf the rear of the ship as the door of the pilot's room suddenly closes; protecting them from the flames. "What's your plan, sir?" Snarl asks as they feel the ship begin to lose altitude. "Rest assured; help is on the way…" The pilot points out the windshield as they see someone zoom past them towards the Antagony.

"Yeee-haaaa!" Rattrap screams as he rides Optimus's back as they fly up through the clouds and land on top of the Antagony's windshield. Tarantulas, Optimus, and Rattrap all exchange looks of utter shock "Oh no! Primal!" Tarantulas screams. "Tarantulas!" Primal and Rattrap shout simultaneously as they stare in sheer disbelief at the still very-much alive Tarantulas. Tarantulas quickly whips out his gun and aims it at Optimus, "DIEEEE STUPID MAXIMALS!" MegaZarak's mouth drops open as he sees Tarantulas aim his gun, "NOOO YOU IDIOT! THE AIR PRESSURE!" "Hasta la vista, Tarantulas!" Optimus salutes him with a laugh as he jumps off of the Antagony just as Tarantulas fires; causing the windshield to explode outward. A vacuum effect sucks MegaZarak towards the window, "This is the last time I take orders from you!" he screams at Tarantulas as he gets sucked out the window and flies through the air helplessly.

Tarantulas manages to grab the edge of the window as he almost flies out, screaming in his usual manner, "AIIYYYEEEE!" when a gun barrel taps him on top of his head. "What? Leaving without saying 'Goodbye'?" Rattrap states as he holds onto the ship with his other hand, "Gee, I'm hurt!" "NY-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Tarantulas screams as Rattrap moves the gun and shoots Tarantulas's hand, sending him flying into the clouds screaming the whole time.

"Wazpinator say it all along…" Waspinator begins as the rest of the crew tries to rescue the ship as it hurdles towards a mountain, "…Spider-bot is biggest idiot of them all!" "Huh, can't argue with him on that one." Rattrap laughs as he sits down on top of the cockpit. Suddenly he notices the mountain quickly approaching them, "Oh no." he states as he runs down the length of the ship towards the end and jumps screaming, "Geronimo!"

The Antagony leaves a giant smoke trail as it plunges in the opposite direction of the Maximal ship. "So…this was your big plan, Wing Convoy?" Warpath shouts to the pilot. "There is much more to being a leader than meets the eye…" Wing Convoy states as the ship races closer and closer towards Earth, "…We came here for a specific agenda; taking down that Decepticon war-bird was not it." He merely squints as the others frantically try to save the ship as they plummet towards the ground.

On the ground, Silverbolt, Cheetor and Blackarachnia watch as the two ships crash into the planet; the Maximal's ship into a vast plain; and the Antagony onto the top of a mountain. The ground trembles and shakes beneath their feet as they feel the shockwave from both of the collisions, causing them to lose their balance and fall down.

Meanwhile in the air Rattrap screams as he free-falls. But out of nowhere a hand grabs him from behind and catches him in mid-fall. "Looks like I got here just in time." Optimus states with a smirk as he uses his foot thrusters to land safely on the ground near the fallen Maximals. "Ah, my hero!" Rattrap lightly touches Optimus on the nose and Optimus tosses him down and laughs. Optimus smiles as the other Maximals rise to their feet slowly, "Well, at least my headache's gone!"

"Well, that some adventure." Silverbolt states as he gestures towards the two smoke trails fading in the distance from the two ships. "Oh…my head!" a voice states from behind a rock. A figure stands up slowly, holding his head in pain, "Rhinox! Big buddy!" Rattrap shouts as he runs over and gives Rhinox a big hug, "It's about time you woke up, ya big lugnut!"

"So, what'd I miss?" Rhinox asks the others as they stand in front of him. "I'll explain it later Rhinox…" Optimus begins, "But I can say this: This war is no longer what it was; this has become a battle of heroes, villains, and of legends. This has become a battle of mythological proportions…" Optimus smiles as he stares out at the mountainous horizon as the Sun begins to set, creating a picturesque portrait of red, yellow, and orange against the snowy white and blue mountains, "This is no longer the Beast Wars; this is now the Myth Wars!"

**Author's Notes:**

Please feel free to post any and all comments; the more the better! I love hearing what you guys think!

Thanks again; and watch out as the battles start to heat up in Myth Wars!


	6. Episode 58: Quondom States

Quick note: There's a great little surprise inside the stolen Predacon ship...watch for it as Megatron discovers it!

**'Myth Wars': Episode 58: "Quondam States":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

Inside the small cockpit of the captured Predacon vessel Megatron sleeps; reclined in one of the pilot's chairs when the ship suddenly rocks and jolts him awake. "What in the inferno!" He yells as he sits up in his seat, checking around for anything near him. The ship rocks again but this time Megatron rises and runs over to the controls. "Perimeter attack; Predacon unit Gigatron." The ship's computer alerts him. "Slag! Doesn't he know when to give up!" Megatron presses a button and cannons rise out of the ship. "He's been at this for the past seven megacycles!"

Outside of the ship Gigatron notices the cannons and makes a run for it just as several laser blasts begin pummeling the ground behind him. In the distance; out of the guns' range; Tidal Wave stands behind a large boulder and watches as Gigatron runs towards him and out of the blast path.

"Blast it all! He escaped again!" Megatron snarls inside the ship and clenches his fists in anger. "Hmm…there must be something in here he wants…" Megatron suddenly stops in mid thought, "…Or rather he doesn't want me to find…yessss!" He smirks a little and turns away from the main controls, "Perhaps it is time I investigated the ship…" Megatron's voice trails off as he begins to laugh to himself.

"Well boss; what's the situation?" Tidal Wave asks as Gigatron runs up to him and joins him behind the boulder. "No go. The shields are still too powerful." Gigatron states. "How much longer do ya think it'll take?" Tidal Wave asks. Gigatron looks up at him with a slight gleam to his optic; "Not too much longer I hope…after all, he can't hold out forever in there without refueling…" Tidal Wave begins to laugh a little, but it grows as Gigatron joins in.

Elsewhere…

"Well, there it is!" Rattrap shouts as the Maximals make their way towards the downed ship of Wing Convoy's crew. Optimus rubs his chin lightly, "Interesting. I wonder who it could be." "Do you think it's LioConvoy? You said that he'd come after us." Cheetor comments as they walk along the dusty ground through small patches of green bushes. "I really can't say for sure Cheetor…" Primal looks out across the land at the ship a couple of miles ahead of them, "I really can't say."

About 20 miles away another robot contemplates something as well; but his thoughts are more spiteful.

MegaZarak screams in frustration, "I must be a fool for trusting that half-wit Tarantulas! Not only did that numb-skull take down _my_ ship; he also managed to take down the Nemesis and nearly destroyed history in the process!" He stomps across the dusty lands and kicks up dirt onto his shiny metal legs; dulling their finish. "When I get my hands on him…he'll wish that he never came online!" He stops for a brief moment to look up at the moon shining high in the sky; and the stars twinkling all around. "To think that I'm stranded here on this pathetic excuse for a planet with no way to get home…I must be a fool." He snarls a little and begins to run a little. "Beast Mode!" He screams and transforms as he races across the semi-barren landscape.

In another area Tarantulas walks along the ground, badly damaged from his impact with the ground after the mishap on the Antagony. He makes a muffled noise as he kicks a stone across the ground. "If only the rat and Primal hadn't interfered in my business; then I would have that Decepticon ship and the crew as my prizes as well…" Tarantulas's voice trailed off as he raises his arm up in front of him. He opens a slide-panel on his arm and reveals a few red buttons and a small screen with Predacon text scrolling across it. After pressing a few buttons the screen begins to flash and a goggle-like screen drops down from his head and over his optics, "But perhaps I won't need them after all…" Tarantulas cackles and replaces the panel on his arm. His laugh grows louder as he begins to pick up speed and run across the land.

Back with the Maximals; 4 giant gold-colored wave-screens fan out from the downed ship and begin to rotate. "It looks there's still a lot of energon in this sector of the planet." Optimus states as they continue towards the ship. Just then Rhinox begins to twitch as energon waves ripple across his body. "Tell me…about it! Beast Mode!" Rhinox shouts as he transforms and the waves subside.

Optimus rubs his chin lightly, "Hmm…interesting." "What's so interesting?" Silverbolt asks. "It would appear that whoever it is in that ship; they're Maximal." Optimus states. "What makes you so certain?" Blackarachnia questions. "Did you see the scanner waves? They were gold in color; Predacon scanners are purple." Optimus explains as they near the ship. "Yeah; unless it's some kind of Predacon trick!" Rattrap comments. Optimus sighs loudly and shakes his head quietly.

Meanwhile, on top of a mountain…

"Begin repairs!" Fenrir shouts as he points to a broken control panel on the Antagony. Myrimidon nods as he lumbers his massive bulk over to the panel in question and pops off the protective plate. A few feet away Waspinator quietly tries to connect a set of wires when he senses something behind him. "Come on bug-face; move it! This ship isn't going to repair itself!" Nemesis shouts. "While Waspinator do his part; what birdy-bot do?" Waspinator retorts as he rises to face her head on. "Right now we need you to help repair the ship…" Nemesis grabs one of her swords and raises in-between them, "…But don't think that means that I won't scrap you just the same!" She squints at him and pushes him back into the wall, "Now get back to work!" Waspinator lowers his head a little and buzzes a little as he turns around and goes back to work.

"So, Fenrir, tell me…" Six-Shot begins as he strolls up to the front of the ship, "How do you know so much about this ship? These aren't exactly easy repairs." Fenrir turns around to face him; silent for a long moment. "Well…if you must know…" Fenrir begins as he walks over to Six-Shot, "I downloaded the schematics for the ship soon after we crashed." Six-Shot eyes him a little, but then nods approvingly. "Alright…" he begins as he picks up a wrench, "So what do you want me to do?" "See if you can find any reinforced glass on board. We need to make a new windshield." Fenrir states. "As you command…" Six-Shot comments as he bows a little and walks off. Fenrir notices this move; but does nothing as he turns back to look out the windshield at the nearby snow-covered mountains reflecting the moonlight softly, "It's only a matter of time…we will have our moment again." He states as he taps his fingers lightly on the keys of the control panel.

Back with the Maximals, Optimus and his men have finally made it to the downed ship. "So now what'da we do?" Rattrap questions with his hands. "Well, I guess we could try knocking." Optimus states. They all stand there quietly for a moment; unsure of what to say next. "Sounds good to me." Blackarachnia comments as she moves towards the ship. Cheetor and Silverbolt exchange looks and shrug their shoulders as they walk up to the hull and start tapping on it lightly.

A few minutes pass with no response. "Any other ideas?" Rattrap comments sarcastically. "Like you had any better ones Rat-face!" Cheetor comments, "I'm sure that the universal greeting will work great." Rattrap grimaces, "Oh yeah? And how do you know that it won't work, eh?" Rattrap retorts. "ENOUGH!" Rhinox shouts as he steps between them, "Rhinox…Maximize!" He shouts as he transforms and looks at each of them. "Ah come on…I was only joking." Cheetor smiles innocently. Rhinox simply shakes his head a little.

Just then a sound draws their attention to the top of the ship. "That sounded like a roof hatch opening!" Blackarachnia shouts as they all step back and draw their weapons. Slowly a figure rises out of the shuttle; and Optimus's jaw drops in amazement, "Oh Primus it can't be…"

Back with Megatron…

"There must be something here…" Megatron comments as he walks through the ship, observing each area, "…something I can use…" Suddenly he stops in mid-sentence as he sees something; something that truly bewilders him. "By the pit! A data-disk!" Megatron states as he picks it up. He carefully examines it; feeling the smoothness of the item's surface with his metallic fingers. "Hmm…perhaps this is what Gigatron didn't want me to find…" Megatron smirks as he pushes a button on a nearby computer and a small slot opens up. Megatron quickly inserts the disk into the computer. "Computer! Play this at once!" he shouts as he turns his attention to the computer's screen.

The screen flickers on and after a few moments of static; the image begins to clear up as a film begins to play.

In the background of the black and white film sounds of footsteps can be heard as the camera pans to the left and focuses in on three robots. "What!" Megatron utters as his jaw drops in shock at the bots on the screen.

"Gigatron! Do me a favor and keep an eye out for any Maximals that may _accidentally_ pass by…" the robot in front begins; the sound scratchy from the film. "Will do!" Gigatron responds; leaving the sight of the camera. Off-screen his footsteps grow more and more distant as the camera follows the other two bots as they continue into the room.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get it and get out of here; the Maximals may be watching us!" The other bot asks in a deep but strangely reptile-like voice. "Oh come come now…Do you really take me for that much of a fool? I've already located and taken out all of the Maximal's security webs, and their holographic cameras as well. You must realize that it is Megatron that you are talking to, not some lowly drone." The central bot states. "Yes Mighty Megatron…" the other bot states with a slight inhale at the end of his statement.

Megatron watches the film with great curiosity, rubbing his chin occasionally. "Strange…I don't recall a back up camera system in there…" he mutters as he continues to watch the scratchy film.

"Ah yes…there it is!" Megatron proclaims as he steps up to a cylindrical tower with a glowing area in the center. Bolts of electricity move across the surface of the glowing area; and protect something floating in the center. "Do you realize what this is?" Megatron asks the other bot. "Correct me if I'm wrong; but is that not the Golden Disk?" The other bot asks; raising a finger into the air. "You are correct; and with this disk we will be able to crush the Maximals and take our rightful place; as rulers of Cybertron!"

Megatron presses a button and pauses the film. "Huh…little did he realize that was only a cover for my motives…" Megatron begins, "…And that the secret message that the original Megatron had encoded on the disk had a very specific order; as well as the coordinates to carry out that order…yessss!" Megatron sighs a little, "Albeit true that I did not want to carry out those orders; it ended up being the most _useful_ way to deal with the Maximals…as well as correct the mistakes of the past." Megatron snarls a little, "I was so close to victory…I had it in my grasp..." His expression turns smug again as he sighs and presses the button to play the film again.

"Not only that; but the disk will also give us the coordinates to find Energon." The other bot states, "The rations that the Maximals give us seem hardly fit for Predacons of our rank." "Indeed." Megatron comments as he removes a small device from a compartment on his body and holds it up to the energy field surrounding the disk. And with the press of a button; a bright burst of light fills the room and shatters the energy field.

As the energy field turns into sharp glass-like shards that fall to the floor; Megatron lunges forward and catches the disk as it begins to fall. He barely manages to catch it, and takes a brief moment to sigh a breath of relief. But as soon as the other bot notices it; Megatron stands back up and glares down at the slightly smaller bot.

The loud screams of sirens suddenly break the silence of the room. "WHAT!" Megatron screams as he looks around in question. "Aarrrgh! We've be ambushed!" The other bot screams; drawing his sword. Megatron quickly looks out towards the area where they had came in from. "Slag! Where did that fool go?" Megatron shouts as he clenches his empty fist in anger. "It would appear that Gigatron has alerted the Maximals to our plan..." The other bot snarls. Megatron squints and holds the disk in front of his face, "It does not matter now…noooo. For with this; I no longer need Gigatron. With this; all of my greatest dreams will be fulfilled!" He shouts as he throws he head back in laughter.

"I suggest we leave now, Megatron. The Maximals are surely on their way!" The other bot interrupts. Megatron's laugh abruptly stops, and his expression grows serious. "Yessss…I suppose you're right…" Megatron states as he nods, "…I believe that it's time for a tactical retreat." He casually points to the opposite wall, "Dinobot; if you'd please?" The other bot nods, charging up his optics and fires a pair of green lasers from them. Smoke fills the room as Megatron and Dinobot quickly race out of the newly made exit.

Megatron watches the film for a few more moments as Maximals enter the room from the other direction. "Slag! Their gone!" One of the bots proclaims; slamming his foot into the ground. "Well; they couldn't have gotten far Longrack…" another, more bulky bot states as he strolls up to the destroyed container for the Golden Disk. "I'll bet you're right! Should I have Stampy and Break pursue them Big Convoy?" Longrack asks. "That would be a good idea...but after they've taken Gigatron and his crew to the prison moon." Big Convoy states with a slight nod. "Right away sir!" Longrack salutes and rushes off camera.

All alone in the room; Big Convoy shakes his head in disappointment. "Well, the Maximal Elders aren't going to like this…" and he proceeds to turn around and leave the room.

Suddenly the film ends and a Maximal symbol appears on the screen with rows of Maximal text scrolling across the bottom. "Interesting…so these were the private files of the Maximal Elders…I wonder who could have stolen them…yessssss!" Megatron smirks as he looks towards the front of the ship; specifically at the windshield.

Back with the Maximals…

"Greetings my fellow Maximals! I am Wing Convoy!" The bot states as he stands on top of the ship. "Well strip my gears and call me an alarm clock; if it ain't the ol' wise-bot himself!" Rattrap shouts sarcastically. "Rattrap; please. Have a little respect." Optimus states as he steps in front of Rattrap. "RESPECT! Are you off your nut? It's his fault that we ended up here in the first place!" Rattrap retorts. Optimus places his hands upon his hips and glares down at Rattrap. "He's still our superior officer; and so he will be treated with the respect that a higher ranking officer deserves." Optimus states. "Uh…well…" Rattrap begins, but lowers his head in defeat, "Ah alright, if you say so."

"It's been a long time…" Optimus begins, "It's good to see you again." Wing Convoy flinches in shock and stares at the huge Transmetal robot, "Is that you Commander Primal?" "Yes…" Optimus looks at himself and the others, "…We've had some changes since you seen us last." "Quite; I'm sure." Wing Convoy states as he hops down onto the ground.

"Well…as long as you are here; you're welcome to stay with us." Wing Convoy extends his hand. Optimus takes it and shakes it; engulfing nearly half of Wing Convoy's arm in his grasp. "It appears that you're all grown up now, hmm?" Wing Convoy smirks. Optimus merely squints and frowns, while Rattrap and the others laugh behind him. "Yep…things just keep gettin' weirder and weirder…" Rattrap comments and winks.

**Author's Notes:**

What will Megatron do next? And what is the hidden agenda of Tarantulas? Will the Predacons in the downed Antagony be able to raise her again? What other surprises lie in store?

Keep watchin' and feel free to leave any and all comments.


	7. Episode 59: Finding the Axiom

**'Myth Wars': Episode 59: "Finding the Axiom":**

Author's Notes on bottom:

"Ya know; it's good to back inside a Maximal ship." Rattrap proclaims as he reclines in a control chair. "You can say that again!" Cheetor adds as he spins around in one of the other chairs. Silverbolt and Blackarachnia watch him; but as soon as he notices them he stops and looks away; embarrassed. "No matter how grown up you try to act; you're still just a kid to me." Blackarachnia laughs a little. Cheetor growls a little in response, "I've grown up a lot more than you'll ever know!"

"Well…" Warpath states as he strolls into the room followed by Optimus, Wing Convoy and Rhinox, "…I could cut the tension in this room with an energon blade." "Ha ha…very funny." Cheetor mocks.

"That Decepticon mega-missile really did some damage back there." Optimus states as he walks through the cabin of the ship. "Indeed. Luckily for us we've made some modifications to this class of ships since you and your crew left on board the Axalon," Wing Convoy comments, "And we were able to seal off the rear of the ship just in time."

"How long do you think it'll take to make repairs?" Optimus asks as he turns to face Rhinox. "Hmm…hard to say. Perhaps 3 to 4 deca-cycles." Rhinox replies, examining a piece of broken metal. "If everyone were to help; I'm sure that the repairs would be much quicker." Wing Convoy states. Optimus nods, "Agreed…" he turns to the others in the front section of the ship, "…Any objections?"

"Don't we evah get a moment to relax Optimus?" Rattrap states bluntly. All turn to face him, but Rhinox is the first to speak, "You do realize that those Predacons could get that ship repaired at any time?" "Yeah…so what?" Rattrap comments, "It's not like they'll be comin' here after us." Everyone stares at him blankly. "O.K….so maybe they will come here." Rattrap gives in.

"Rattrap has a point Optimus." Silverbolt interjects. Optimus turns to face him. "We've been through a lot. Don't you think that we could use a moment to rest?" Optimus stands silently for a moment, but then responds, "I'm with Rhinox on this one. If the Predacons get that Decepticon battle cruiser operational again; we'll be the first targets that they come after; and they could easily destroy this ship if they get enough power." He slams his fist into his hand, "We can't let that happen!"

Silverbolt stares in disbelief at Optimus, but says nothing. "Well, you're the big cheese." Rattrap butts in and sighs, "But can we start on the repairs later? I just got comfortable!"

"Don't get too comfortable…" Warpath begins as he leans against a nearby wall, "…We need you to go on a recon mission."

"Eh?" Rattrap mutters, raising a brow in question. "Yes; it's true." Wing Convoy begins as he strolls in from the rear of the ship, "Optimus and I have been talking; and we need someone to go on a recon mission; to find out just how far along the Predacons are with their repairs." "And so you want me to do it, right?" Rattrap rebuttals sarcastically. "Of course." Optimus grins a little.

"Well, so much for my hot oil bath!" Rattrap comments as he hops out of the chair. "Just a second…I'm sending Snarl with you." Wing Convoy adds, patting Rattrap on the shoulder. Rattrap looks at him, "Great. Now we can get reduced to burning piles of scrap together!" Rattrap mutters sarcastically. "Shut up Rattrap!" Optimus states. Wing Convoy turns to him for a moment, "Now I understand why you say that." Optimus simply nods and winks.

"So…how do we get out of here?" Rattrap asks looking for an exit. "Like I said; we've made some modifications to these ships…" Wing Convoy states as he strolls over to a control station and presses a button. A door slides open next to one of the drop-down exits. "Well, that's just prime." Optimus comments happily.

"Daytona Mode!" Rattrap yells as he transforms in his vehicle mode, "Maximum acceleration!" Snarl watches him grind his wheels against the metal floor and take off like a rocket out of the entrance. "And I'm supposed to catch him how?" Snarl comments with innocent sarcasm. "You certainly aren't going to catch him by standing here!" Wing Convoy states, urging him to move. Snarl merely sighs and transforms into his lion mode and races after Rattrap.

"Did you get it on him?" Optimus asks. "Indeed," Wing Convoy begins as he taps a few keys at the control station and the screen turns on to reveal a dot moving away from the ship, "I put it on his shoulder just before he left." "Good. Now we'll be able to keep track of him…" Optimus comments as he bends down to see the screen more clearly, "…I've lost far too many friends; and I'm not about to lose any more."

"Really?" Wing Convoy begins as he examines the crew, "I've been meaning to ask you what happened to the others in the stasis pods…" Optimus stands up and looks down at him, "I…We had to jettison them shortly before we crashed here." "YOU WHAT?" Wing Convoy shouts, "WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM? WHERE ARE THEY?"

Optimus looks away in remorse, "They have been crashing to the planet's surface ever since we put them into safe orbit. Some of them were regrettably reprogrammed and turned into Predacons…" Wing Convoy stares in disbelief at what's he's hearing, "And when an alien device threatened to destroy this planet; it knocked some of the stasis pods out of orbit and sent them crashing to Earth. At first we believed that it was all of them; but as we were attempting to leave Earth we found some more still orbiting the planet. We rescued them; but the ship's engines failed and we lost them when the ship crashed back to Earth."

"By the skidplate of Primus himself! What in the inferno were you thinking! Do you have any concept of what you've done?" Wing Convoy yells in extreme anger and frustration. Optimus stares down at him in question but says nothing. "Do you realize that those were Maximals in those pods? MAXIMALS! And another thing…" Wing Convoy starts on a mad rant, "…You failed to mention anything about any Predacons before. I don't suppose that these protoforms just up and reprogrammed themselves into Predacons…I'm betting that some of Megatron's crew managed to survive…am I right?" Wing Convoy stares Optimus directly in the face.

Optimus sighs and looks away a little, "Yes…all of Megatron's crew survived; including Megatron himself." Wing Convoy slams his fists into the controls panel; denting it. "What in the slag were you thinking! Are you insane? First you let Megatron and his forces survive; then you lose half of your stasis pods to the Predacons; and Primus only knows where the other pods are…" Wing Convoy clenches his fists in anger; holding back his aggression, "I must have been an idiot to appoint you commander! What was I thinking!" He kicks the chair across the room, narrowly missing Silverbolt and Blackarachnia; "I need to get some fresh air…and decide what to do next…" he looks back at Optimus in contempt as he exits the ship.

"Whoa…what's gumming his gears?" Rhinox states as they all watch Wing Convoy leave the ship and transform into his gryphon mode, "It's not like we just let Megatron take the protoforms; we did fight to save them." Rhinox turns to see Optimus staring out the exit; his expression very evidently hurt and saddened. "Optimus…?" Rhinox begins, and Optimus's expression suddenly changes to cover up his sadness. "I'm alright Rhinox…I just need some time to think…" He states as he turns and walks into the burned out section of the ship.

"Don't look at me like that…I'm just his lieutenant." Warpath holds up his hands as a sign of innocence. The others slowly stop staring at him. "But we should not remain idle; we should begin repairing the ship." Warpath states as he points to Cheetor, "Cheetor, you, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt will begin working on the Sector 12. Rhinox, you and I will work on the exterior armor plating." Cheetor and his group silently nod and rush off to their appointed areas. "Good…I could use some time to smell the flowers." Rhinox comments as he and Warpath exit the ship.

"Man…I must be losing my touch." Rattrap states as he drives across the ground towards the mountain range where they seen the Antagony crash. "How so?" Snarl asks as he walks next to him, still in beast mode. "Normally I would be able to make _the great Optimus_ change his mind; but for some reason he didn't." Snarl looks at him for a moment and then looks straight ahead, "I don't know Optimus as well as you do…perhaps the recent events have changed his mindset." Snarl comments. Rattrap shakes his head a little, "I don't think so…"

Just then Snarl stops in his tracks. Rattrap rolls on for a few more feet until he realizes that Snarl's no longer next to him. He then transforms and joins Snarl who's staring up at the top of one of the mountains. "What is it?" Rattrap asks as he looks up at the top of the mountain too and sees a dark shape resting on top of the peak. "I can't say from this distance; but if I had to guess; I'd say that was the ship." Snarl states. "Well, what're we waitin' for then?" Rattrap asks rhetorically as he runs towards the mountain's base, "Let's go up there and find out!"

"I don't think this is such a great idea Rattrap…" Snarl cautions, but Rattrap's already too far away too hear him; and so Snarl shakes his head in regret and transforms into robot mode to chase after Rattrap.

Meanwhile, high upon the mountain top…

"Slag! My servo-fluids are within 15 degrees of crystallization!" Myrimidon exclaims as he holds up a giant metal panel near the rear section of the Antagony. "Quit your complaining..." Nemesis begins as she tack-welds the piece in place, "…At least we're out of that stuffy ship for a while. I don't think I could have listened to Fenrir's whiny voice a moment longer." "Whiny voice?" Myrimidon comments, "It didn't seem whiny to me." "Well…it wasn't at first; but it seems to be getting higher and higher pitched as each day goes by…I can't explain it." Nemesis states; finishing the welds.

"Good; only 5 more panels to go!" Myrimidon proclaims as he and Nemesis start to walk away. Just then Nemesis stops dead in her tracks and whips out her swords. "What's got you so flustered?" he asks, turning to see her looking down the edge of the mountain. "I think we're being watched…" she states, scanning the slope of the mountain for anything unusual.

"Ah…you're insane!" he states and proceeds to walk away from her. Just then a blade pierces his shoulder, causing him to turn around quickly. "Don't underestimate me!" she sneers, staring down the towering giant. His ice cold stare matches hers; and the two clench their fists in anger.

Suddenly Nemesis sees something move behind him; and she breaks the stare-down. "I was right!" she proclaims, ripping the sword out of his shoulder. He flinches in pain; but only for a moment as he watches her walk slowly towards the hidden object.

"Slag! We've been spotted!" Snarl states, hiding with Rattrap behind a boulder. "Well…it's look like we'll just have to make due with what we've got." Rattrap comments, "Ya think you can take 'em?" "The big guy, yes. But I'm not to sure about the other…she's very powerful." Snarl comments. "Well, I have to get inside that tin-shack; so it's up to you to take them out…" Rattrap states as he pulls out a device from his arm compartment, "…This'll help ya."

Snarl takes it and nods in agreement. With that, Rattrap quickly rushes off towards the front of the ship; leaving Snarl to deal with the 2 Predacons.

Nemesis slowly approaches the rocks, swords in hand when Snarl suddenly jumps out and tosses the device at her. It explodes, sending Nemesis flying back and crashing into Myrimidon.

"Get off me!" he screams, tossing her aside. She shakes off the blow and looks up to see Snarl standing there, ready for battle. "I don't really approve of battle, but when it's necessary for survival…" he grabs a sword, "Then let the battle begin!"

"Stupid Maximal! You should have never came here!" she shouts, running towards him and slamming into him with her shoulder, knocking him over. She then proceeds to whip her sword around and strike him across the chest; damaging his lion head. "Come on Maximal…scream in pain!" She laughs as she strikes him again across the head, seriously wounding him.

"Save some for me!" Myrimidon calls out as he pulls out his massive sword. "Go find your own!" Nemesis growls. "Hey! What do you think this is?" he retorts, "You can't just hog the victory all to yourself!" "Wanna bet?" She threatens, standing to face him.

Out of nowhere a giant iron beam swings down and smashes him across the face; sending him flying into the air and crashing down with a tremendous thud; knocking him out cold. "What!" she cries out; turning to see what happened. Rattrap stands triumphantly on top of the Antagony and tosses the beam aside, "Look lady; if you want to fight dirty…" he states as he hops down onto the ground, "…You'd better fight like a rat!"

Her optics squint in anger as she carefully tosses one of her swords at Rattrap's chest. But as the swords floating through the air Rattrap manages to grab his tail whip and smack the sword out of mid-air; much to Nemesis's astonishment. "Heh…too quick for ya?" he mocks as he whips out his gun and starts blasting her.

She stumbles over the body of Snarl and falls to the ground. Her optics widen in fear as she looks over her shoulder to see the edge of the mountain; and a steep drop below. Just then Rattrap stands over her and places his feet on each side of her; hovering the gun inches above her head, "This'll teach you for attacking my pals!"

A single shot fires from his gun, sending Nemesis falling over the edge end-over-end down the side of the mountain. He watches her bounce against the rocks until he senses something behind him; but by then it's too late.

A single blow to the back of his head knocks him out cold as Fenrir stands behind him triumphantly. "So…the mousey has come here to play..." he laughs as he picks up Rattrap, "…That could be very dangerous!" Rattrap, half awake, just hangs limp as he holds him up by his bicep.

"It's only dangerous for you, Predacon scum!" A voice yells as a fist punches Fenrir in the side of the head, forcing him to release Rattrap. Rattrap blinks awake to see Snarl standing there above the downed Fenrir. "I wonder if you like the taste of die-cast metal!" he asks sarcastically as he picks up Fenrir with both arms and holds him high above his head. And with one mighty throw, he slams Fenrir head first into the hull of the Antagony.

"Whoa…that was…a bit much, don't cha think?" Rattrap comments, rubbing the back of his head. "Not really…" Snarl comments as he walks away from the damaged carcass of Fenrir, "Let's go."

Back at Maximal headquarters…

"Well, what did you find out?" Cheetor asks as he lets Rattrap and Snarl in. "Well, the Predacons are still active; but we found that out the hard way…" Rattrap grunts as he points to Snarl's damaged body. Cheetor watches as Snarl quietly makes his way to the C.R. chamber.

"So…where's Optimus?" Rattrap asks, looking around. "Last time I seen him he went into the back of the ship. I haven't seen him since…" Cheetor explains; pointing towards the back of the ship. "Well…aren't you going to go get him? I think he should hear dis too." Rattrap comments. "No…" Cheetor begins with a slightly saddened expression, "He needs to be alone for the time being…" Rattrap just stares at him in question; not knowing what to say next.

"Anything else?" Cheetor asks Rattrap, breaking the silence. "Well…there was this one thing I found inside the ship…" he states as he produces a small data-disk, "What is it?" Cheetor asks, staring at the disk. "I don't know, but it has Tarantulas's stench all over it; and by the looks of it; he didn't want anyone to find it!"

**Author's Notes:**

What is this mysterious disk that Rattrap has found? And what of the tension growing between Optimus and Wing Convoy? What will the effects be in the long run? And what other surprises lie in store?

Keep watchin'…


	8. Episode 60: Other Encounters, Pt 1

**'Myth Wars': Episode 60: "Other Encounters: Part 1: The Collapse":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

Inside the ship the Maximals gather around a computer screen; staring in wonder and intrigue.

"Well?" Rattrap asks as he stares at Rhinox. "Give me a nano-click. I can't decipher Tarantulas' code." Rhinox states as he taps away on keys, his expression fierce and concentrated, "He's got this thing triple-encrypted!" "Well, now ain't that just prime!" Rattrap comments, grimacing.

Meanwhile, in the back of the ship…

Optimus Primal walks slowly through the burned out section of the ship; examining the damage and enjoying the solitude of the empty space.

"Hmm…here I am inside this fine ship," He holds up a small metal plaque with Maximal text encircling a raised Maximal symbol, "The Providus." He sets the plaque down and continues to walk through the ruins of the ship; looking into each room as he passes them.

"The battles that we've fought so hard in…and all the many lives that have been lost, both by accident and through sacrifice…" he looks up to the ceiling, his expression lost and confused, "Was it all for nothing?"

His gaze slowly passes down to his hands. He examines his palms as if they were the instruments of vast crimes, "And it's all my fault. All this time I could have done more…I might have been able to stop Megatron sooner and prevented all this…"

He walks into a room, and hangs his head in deep reverence. "This room…it's so much like Dinobot's old room…" he starts to have flashbacks; first of Dinobot's room; then of Dinobot himself. The scenes play out in his mind vividly, and he can hear Dinobot's voice as if he were right next to him. "The question that once haunted my being has been answered." He hears the voice of Dinobot state boldly, "The future is not fixed, and my choices are my own." In Optimus' mind he sees an image of Dinobot standing above the valley, "And yet, how ironic…For I now find I have no choice at all."

"Was I somehow responsible for his death? Could I have prevented it?" Optimus lowers his head and walks out of the room. As he enters the main hallway he continues to think, "And what about the others? Could I have saved Depth Charge as well?" In his mind the death of Depth Charge plays back; the sheer determination in his optics as he plunged the raw energon crystal through Rampage's spark.

Just then Optimus looks up in shock. "Have I even been a good commander? Have I failed the _one true test_ that life had in store for me?"

An image of Wing Convoy enters his mind. "I must have been an idiot to appoint you commander!" He screams, clenching his fists in anger. Optimus flinches in fear as an image of Depth Charge comes in next, ""I've gotta hand it to you, Primal. When you screw up...you do it big time!"; followed by an image of Rattrap in his regular beast form, "You sure you're cut out for this commander gig?".

He grabs his head and screams in severe pain. "What have I done! I could've stopped Megatron! I've failed…" he throws his arms into the air and screams, "I'VE FAILED!"

Back in the front of the ship…

"I'm surprised we haven't heard anything from Optimus…I wonder if he's alright." Silverbolt states as he looks towards the sealed off door separating the areas. "Heh…it doesn't help with the doors being sound-proofed!" Rattrap adds sarcastically.

"I'm sure he's fine…" Cheetor begins, "He just needs some time to think. Wing Convoy was pretty harsh with him." "Hmm…that's an understatement." Rhinox adds, "Don't cha think he might have overreacted just a _little too much_?" Warpath looks down at him, "Maybe…but I can't defend Primal's actions either…" Rhinox gives him a dirty look and turns back to the computer.

Elsewhere...

"ARGH! What was I thinking!" Wing Convoy screams as he flies through the air far from the Maximal base. "To think I could trust Primal to carry out such a simple task as capturing Megatron…" He begins, "…I must have been a fool to trust him!"

"You still are a fool; Maximal scum!" a voice states from behind him on the ground. Immediately he turns around to see a large serpent slithering up quickly to him. "Who are you!" Wing Convoy demands as he hovers in one position. "I'm your worst nightmare!" He screams as he lunges into the air and bites into Wing Convoy's body.

Meanwhile…

"So…this is the game we wish to play Gigatron?" Megatron snarls as he strolls up to the front of the ship and stares out of the windshield at the rock formation where Gigatron and Tidalwave are hiding, "Just remember who your opponent is; yessss!"

Back in the cockpit of the Providus…

"Yes!" Rhinox shouts as he smiles at the screen. "You've deciphered it?" Cheetor asks as he watches Rhinox type away on the keys. "No…but I have broken his encryption…" Rhinox begins as his expression becomes fierce and concentrated, "…Now if I only figure out what's on this disk…"

In another sector…

"Good…It should be within range in just a few clicks…" Tarantulas states as he drives across the ground at full speed; now in his vehicle mode.

Elsewhere…

The huge serpent smashes Wing Convoy into the ground with such force that the ground vibrates and shakes for a few seconds. He grits his teeth in pain but does not show any other signs of pain.

Just then the huge serpent releases him as he arches back into an attack position. "WING CONVOY…MAXIMIZE!" He shouts as he transforms and jumps into the air just as the serpent lunges and smashes head-first into the ground. Wing Convoy lands next to the beast and gives him a sharp upper cut; sending him into a flying roll.

"I've had enough of your kind…" the serpent states as he spits out some dirt and mech fluid, "…you're worse than the Autobots!" The serpent rises up and stares down Wing Convoy, "MegaZarak…TERRORIZE!"

The huge serpent transforms into a giant robot; and clenches his fists in anger. "MegaZarak!" Wing Convoy stutters as he stares at the Decepticon standing before him; "But you…and your crew…how did you survive?" "Simple fool…" MegaZarak begins, "…We never went back to Cybertron as everyone thought; we stayed in orbit around Earth. But my crew didn't know how to repair the engines and neither did I; and thus we crashed here upon this mudball!"

Wing Convoy stares at him in disbelief, "But the Maximal elders…they had chronicles stating that you went back to Cybertron…" "They lied to you…" MegaZarak begins, "Do you think that these 'Maximal Elders' would tell you the truth about our absence?" Wing Convoy looks away in thought. "Hmm…that _would_ make sense…" He ponders, "…They didn't tell the other Maximals of Megatron's theft of the Golden Disk either…"

Wing Convoy sits down upon a nearby boulder, "By the skidplate of Primus himself! This means that all of the ideals I had…all of the things that I believed to be the truth…may not have been real after all!" MegaZarak smirks a little and nods in agreement, "Indeed…Decepticons are not the only masters of deception...allow me to explain…"

Back at the stolen Predacon ship…

"What in the slag?" Gigatron states as he peers from behind a rock. "What is it?" Tidalwave asks as he leans against a rock; protecting himself from the view of the ship. "The shield's being lowered…" Gigatron states in utter disbelief. "HUH!" Tidalwave's jaw drops in sheer amazement. "…and by my calculations the shield's power should not have been drained for at least two more mega-cycles!" "Maybe Megatron's come to his senses." Tidalwave suggests as he begins to stand to his feet. "I'm not sure…but I think we should find out either way!" Gigatron states as he rises to his feet and they both stare at the ship.

Back at Maximal HQ…

"I've got it!" Rhinox shouts as he stops typing. "Alright! Way to go Big R!" Cheetor cries out as he throws his arms up in triumph. "Well…what's it say?" Blackarachnia asks as she gazes at Rhinox as he scrolls through the pages of text. "Just give me a nano-click…" Rhinox states. "Yeah…like we haven't given ya enough time already!" Rattrap comments sarcastically. "Shut up Rattrap!" Warpath adds in.

"Oh no…" Rhinox begins as he stares at the screen in disbelief. "What is it? What have you discovered?" Silverbolt asks; a little worried. "…It can't be true!" Rhinox finishes as he rereads the screen just to be sure. "What is it?" Snarl asks. Everyone exchanges looks of fear and despair.

"Tarantulas has found something…something BIG!" Rhinox states as he turns around his chair to face the others gathered around him. "Tell us already!" Rattrap shouts. "Alright…but you aren't going to like it…" Rhinox begins. Rattrap gives him a dirty look. Rhinox lowers his head a little, "He found Unicron...and he's here!"

Everyone's jaw drops almost simultaneously. "Unicron! But how…?" Silverbolt shouts as he looks at Rhinox with great shock. "I'm entirely sure…but that's why he reactivated the Nemesis and the Antagony..." Rhinox begins. "The Antagony?" Cheetor asks, confused. "Yes…the Decepticon battle cruiser that attacked us…" Rhinox states. Cheetor nods silently.

"It's all here in these datatracks…" Rhinox explains, gesturing towards the monitor, "…Tarantulas was going to bring the ships to Unicron as presents; and to start an armada!"

At the same time…

"Well well…look who's finally arrived!" A cloaked figure states, his voice echoing out to the quickly approaching Tarantulas.

Tarantulas races up and quickly transforms into robot mode. "Hhnn!" He grunts as he strolls up to the figure, "I would have been here sooner if I hadn't encountered Maximals along the way…" "That's no excuse Agent Tarantulas…" the figure states; only the faint glow of his single yellow optic peering out from under the veil.

"Who are you anyway! Any what gives you the right to tell me what and what is not a valid excuse!" Tarantulas commands, pointing at the figure. "My name's not important. All you need to know is that the master rewards loyalty and punctuality." The figure comments.

Tarantulas rubs his chin in thought. "Hmm…" he says quietly to himself, "...Unicron never informed me of another agent."

"Speak up Tarantulas! I won't have you plotting behind the master's back!" the figure states; never emerging from under his cloak. "I was merely thinking back to the Maximals…and how they ruined my plans to bring the Nemesis and the Antagony here." "Really? And I'm supposed to believe this?" The figure states with great question. "Whether you believe me or not is immaterial…the fact remains the same." "You're insane!" the figure comments. "No…that's just what I want everyone to believe…" Tarantulas snickers and begins to laugh hysterically.

Back with Gigatron and Tidalwave…

They stare in wonder as the door to the ship opens slowly and a ramp extends to the ground.

"What's going on here!" Tidalwave asks; one eye closed and raising his other eyebrow. "I haven't the slightest idea…" Gigatron admits as he watches the ramp with confusion.

Just then a foot appears out of the ship, and soon they see Megatron emerge carrying a small datadisk in his hand. "Oh…now I know." Gigatron comments, looking sheepishly.

In the meantime…

A giant fist smashes into a wall; crumpling it inward. "I've failed! I can't believe I've failed!" Optimus screams as he slams his fists into the wall; destroying it almost entirely. "I thought I could handle the role of commander…I thought I was capable of saving and preserving life…" he begins as he buries his head in his hands, "But all I've done is destroy it. I've hurt those closest to me; and played a hand in the deaths of others. I'm no better than a Predacon…" he stares at his reflection in a broken piece of metal; "I'm no better than Megatron!"

Back with Tarantulas…

"Almighty Unicron…your loyal servant Tarantulas has returned!" The figure states, extending an arm to point at Tarantulas strolling up behind him. The whole time the figure remains cloaked under his dark brown shawl.

Tarantulas shakes his head and mocks the figure as he walks up to a large open field. He suddenly stops in mid-walk and drops his gun in shock.

Before him is a giant field; with sharp jagged rocks protruding everywhere. The landscape is barren and broken apart; twisted by the tremendous heat radiating from a wide river of lava in the center. Tarantulas stares in shock as he hears screams coming from the river. Upon closer examination he realizes that it's actually from proto-humans, robots and various creatures.

"WELCOME; TARANTULAS!" A massive voice booms; shaking the ground beneath his feet. "U…Uni-cron!" Tarantulas stutters out, trying to catch his balance. "YOU HAVE BEEN ABSENT FOR QUITE SOME TIME…" The voice booms again; causing Tarantulas to fall onto his back, "…EXPLAIN!"

"Well…you see…the Predacon secret police were able to get me into Megatron's crew; but I was not able to stop him..." Tarantulas explains as he stands up again. "ENOUGH!" The voice rumbles the terrain again and sends Tarantulas falling again. Tarantulas looks around to see that the mysterious figure that was with him only moments ago has vanished.

"CONSIDERING THE FACTS; SUCH AS YOUR NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT HISTORY AND THE SHIPS YOU WERE GOING TO BRING TO ME…" the voice begins, "I'VE COME TO A DECISION!" Tarantulas gulps in fear as he stands and clings to a nearby rock, "And that would be…?" "YOU WILL EXPERIENCE TRUE POWER!"

Just then Tarantulas's body begins to glow and shake; as he cries out in excruciating pain and agony. "AAAAHHHHHH! STOPPPP!" He screams as his body cracks and breaks under the tremendous pressure.

Tarantulas stares throws his arms into the air as he kneels down from the intense pain. "NY-OOOOOOO!" He screams as body begins to alter and change shape. First his feet begin to change shape and form one, long toe. Then his hands extend to form a giant claw between his fingers; followed by the horns on his head growing and extending.

Pretty soon his whole body has changed; and the glowing starts to subside. Tarantulas examines his new body; and snickers with glee. "Yes…oh yess!" He screams as he throws his arms into the air in triumph, "With the combined power of Unicron and the Vok; nothing can stop me now! NOTHING!"

Back with Megatron…

"So…I seen you've found the disk?" Gigatron states as he slowly emerges from behind a rock. "Indeed I have…" Megatron begins, "…And thus I believe it is time that we talk. Perhaps a truce is in order?"

Gigatron rubs his chin lightly. "You're not seriously considering this; are ya boss?" Tidalwave asks; confused. "Actually…" Gigatron begins as he walks towards Megatron, "…I am."

Meanwhile with Wing Convoy…

"So…what you're saying is that the Autobots and the Maximals were wrong all along?" he comments. "Exactly…" MegaZarak explains, "…So, will you join me then?" Wing Convoy tilts his head in thought; and then grins deviously, "Of course…"

Back at the Maximal base…

"So…what do we do now?" Blackarachnia asks as they all look at each other in question. "Hmm…" Warpath rubs his chin lightly, "…First we need to get Wing Convoy and Optimus; and then we can worry about Unicron and Tarantulas…"

"Hold it!" Rattrap shouts as he points to one of the ship's monitors, "We've got a new problem!"

On the screen they see five robots stand in formation in front of the ship. "You are hereby found guilty of crimes against time by the Vok…" the central bot with states with a deep demonic voice; "…Surrender your sparks now or DIE!"

**Author's Notes:**

The Vok agents have arrived! What will they do? And what will the Maximals do? And what of Megatron and his new truce with Gigatron? How about Optimus Primal? How will he deal with his belief of his own failure? And with Tarantulas in control of both Vok and Unicron powers; will anyone be able to stop him? And who's the other mysterious agent of Unicron? And what have the Predacons inside the Antagony been up to this whole time?

Keep watching…


	9. Episode 61: Other Encounters, Pt 2

**'Myth Wars': Episode 61: "Other Encounters: Part 2: The Reveal":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

"Eh? What kind of threat is that?" Rattrap quickly states as they stare at the Vok agents through the monitor, "I mean come on; 'Surrender ya sparks or die!'? Isn't that pretty much the same thing?"

The others look at each other. Cheetor smirks and starts laughing to himself lightly, "At least that eliminates any options."

"If you two are done…" Rhinox begins as he points to the screen, "We need to do something!" "What do you propose?" Warpath asks as he stares at the agents patiently standing in front of the ship. "That…I don't know…" Rhinox states somberly.

Elsewhere in the ship…

"What am I going to do!" Optimus screams as he hangs his head in shame and regret. "I need to talk to someone…but whom?" He shakes his head and thinks…

Back with Megatron…

"So…now do you see that we are innocent?" Gigatron asks. "Innocent!" Megatron utters in shock, "If this disk has showed me anything; it's proven your guilt!"

"What in the slag are you talking about!" Gigatron screams, "We were caught by the Maximals. We didn't have time to alert you!" "BAH!" Megatron resounds, "Do you really expect me to believe that?" "It's the truth you moron!" Gigatron yells, sneering.

"What did you just call me…!" Megatron screams in anger. "You heard me!" Gigatron totally blows up and screams at Megatron, "If you think that we were willing allow ourselves to get captured and thrown into one of those smelly, cramped slagging Maximal prisons just to alert the Maximals that we are helping _you _steal the Golden Disk so _we all _could escape; then yes; you are a nothing more than an idiotic; spastic; no-good moron!"

Megatron takes a small step back in shock. "Hmm…" He begins, "…I never thought of that before…perhaps you are right…" "That's what we've been trying to tell you all along Megatron!" Tidal Wave states as he stares at Megatron, "We were captured! We never betrayed you!"

"Well…" Megatron begins as he rubs his chin lightly, "Considering the recent revelations; I do believe that the truce shall remain." "Why did you want a truce anyway?" Tidal Wave begins. "Because I have a plan…and I need you two to help me with it." Megatron smirks evilly.

In the meantime…

"You're kidding? The Nemesis was actually the flagship of the Decepticon battle fleet!" Wing Convoy states as he walks along with MegaZarak. "Indeed it was. Not too many bots knew of us however; we were a kind of 'back-up' plan in case something went awry…" MegaZarak explains, "But those idiots on the Nemesis decided that it would be best to land the ship on Earth in order to contact Megatron." His face becomes somber… "However; those idiots crashed her instead; and thus left us stranded!"

"Wow…that's impressive. I had no…" Wing Convoy starts as he suddenly begins to convulse. "What's wrong with you?" MegaZarak states with disgust in his voice. "My injury…from where you bit me…" Wing Convoy begins as he rises to his feet again and holds his side in pain. "Oh?" MegaZarak quietly mutters. "Yes…" Wing states with a slight grin, "But my systems will recover…in time."

Meanwhile with Unicron…

Tarantulas is starting to walk away when he hears something approach him from behind. He whips around to see the cloaked figure again.

"You again!" Tarantulas snaps as he points his long extended claw at him. "Yeah…and I see that the master has given you a new body!" The cloaked figure retorts. "And your point?" Tarantulas asks sarcastically. "I don't think it's fair!" He comments and eyes Tarantulas with his single glowing optic.

"Not fair!" Tarantulas states with serious confusion, "How so?" "I've been loyal to the master for the past several mega-cycles and you just show up again and _he gives you _a new body!" The figure replies. Tarantulas shakes his head with disbelief, "I don't even know who you are! If you want a new body _sooo _badly; then why don't you go and ask him yourself, hmm?"

"I've had enough! Prepare to terminate; Tarantulas!" The cloaked figures states as he raises his right arm and a glow is seen underneath his cloak. "Oh really…?" Tarantulas states with a slight gleam in his optic.

Just then he raises his arm into the air and it begins to glow. In the sky clouds begin to swirl and amass. He laughs with insane happiness as he directs a lightning bolt down from the sky into the body of his new enemy.

"AAAHHHHHH!" The bot screams in intense pain as his body is electrocuted. Then Tarantulas throws his arm back like a conductor of a symphony and commands another bolt of lightning that echoes across through the air and passes by him and directly into the bot; sending him flying through the air and into the distance screaming the whole way.

"Excellent! EXCELLENT!" Tarantulas screams in triumph. "Thanks to Unicron's reformatting he has awakening the Vok within me; just as I suspected…" he snickers lightly to himself, "And to think those arrogant Vok thought that they were going to get an emissary when they rebuilt me…how pathetic!"

Meanwhile, back with Optimus Primal…

"Who can I trust anymore?" He asks himself as he stares at his reflection in the shiny metal of the ship. "None of my crew would understand; they would be nice and tell me that I'm doing a great job as leader and that the deaths of the others were not my fault; and my own superior officer doesn't believe in my abilities either…"

Suddenly his face lights up with happiness. "I know who I could talk to!" He quickly races towards down the hall towards one of the roof hatch exits. And as he presses a button the roof hatch slowly opens and he transforms into his air guardian mode and flies out of the ship and high into the air. He quickly activates his feet thrusters and takes off.

But just outside the ship; out of Optimus's sight…

"You had your chance…" The central Vok agent states, "Now witness the fury and might of the Vok!"

"Quickly! Shield's to maximum!" Warpath screams to Rhinox. Rhinox nods quickly and presses a button as the sky begins to cloud up and swirl. "Hold on everyone! We're goin' for a ride!" Rattrap screams as he braces himself against a chair.

Just then the shields raise as several arcs of lightning streak out of the sky and smash into the ship's shields. Inside the crew is thrown about in every direction.

Silverbolt flies through the air and smashes into one of the glass lowering platforms. "Silverbolt!" Blackarachnia cries out as she watches him lay unconscious inside the shattered compartment.

Just then the ship is rocked again as several more bolts strike it; sending everyone flying around the cabin in a massive jumble of bodies. Rattrap clings to the chair in desperation as he hears the bolts begin to snap. "Oh no!" he states with sarcasm as it breaks loose and catapults him into the ceiling.

"Auto guns online!" Rhinox commands; now strapped into the chair. Outside the ship guns turrets open up and aim at the Vok agents. "Well…now isn't this an interesting turn of events?" One of the agents states as the guns begin to open fire upon them.

One of them takes to the air and stares at the front of the ship, dodging blasts from the guns, "You are a clever one Rhinox…We are all too familiar with your creativity." Inside the ship Rhinox drops his jaw in shock. "Wait a cycle!" he states as he begins to tap a few keys, "Scan those bots!"

As the computer scans the bots, images of wire-frame figures appear on the screen. "4 of the 5 units have been identified. Energy signatures match that of deceased units Tigatron, Airazor, Depth Charge, and Rampage." Rhinox stares in utter disbelief, "NO!"

"What! Are ya kiddin' me?" Rattrap states as he throws the chair off of him and runs over to Rhinox, "Ya mean those are our pals out there?" "Well…all except for one at least." Rhinox comments, "And luckily for us we installed the backup information you had from the Axalon; at least now we know who we're dealing with!"

At that moment the ship begins to shake and creak as a mass of swirling clouds surround the ship. Outside one of the Agents directs clouds to swirl around the ship and create a vortex. "AHAHAHA!" he screams, "Ooooh…this is almost as much fun as Starbase Rugby!"

"What are you talking about?" One of the other agents ask as they walk up next to him. "Huh?" He states as he turns to the bot, "What do you mean?" "You mentioned something about a starbase…the Vok don't have a starbase!" he states. "I'm not sure…I can't recall it all myself…" he explains, "It's comes to me in flashes…I think it's the spark of the unit Rampage trying to break through!" "Well, just make sure it doesn't!" The other bot states, "I'm having enough trouble keeping the unit Depth Charge's spark at bay!"

On the other side of the ship another one of the agents summons the ground up into a pillar and creates a massive spike with it. But just as he's about to smash it into the ship he stops. "What are you doing!" one of the other agents states as she floats over to him. "I…I can't do it." The bot states with sheer confusion, "Something's keeping me from attacking…I can't explain it." "Hnn! Probably just the unit Tigatron's spark trying to influence you!" She states.

Just then she stops in mid movement. "What's the matter?" he asks. She holds up her hand to signal him to be quiet. "I sense something…" He stares at her in question. "Someone else has Vok powers…someone other than us 5…" "Who?" Tigatron asks. "I'm not sure; but I have a strong suspicion…" she begins, "…And I'm betting it has something to do with the 2 Vok who infected Tarantulas!"

"What should we do?" Tigatron asks. "You and the others concentrate on destroying this ship. I will see to the new problem!" she states as he floats away. "As you command, Oracle." Tigatron comments and thrusts the spike into the shield.

Back inside the ship…

"Argh!" Rhinox screams as he gets knocked around in the chair, "The shields won't take much more of this!" he turns around and looks at Warpath as he lies slumped over against a wall, "Warpath! Are you still functional?" Warpath slowly rises to his feet, "Yes…but I'm not sure for how much longer at this rate!" "Go see if you can find Optimus! We need him!" "Why?" Warpath states, unsure of Rhinox's plan. Rhinox sighs, "Because the shields are going to fail soon; which means we'll have to go outside and fight them hand to hand!"

Warpath nods and opens the door to the rear section of the ship and disappears down one of the aisles. "I just hope the shields last long enough…" Rhinox states as he looks back at the monitor.

Elsewhere…

"Tell me about the Maximals…" MegaZarak asks as he walks with Wing Convoy. "What's to say?" Wing comments, "They are the descendants of the Autobots. A few of us are still primarily Autobot; a small group called the Maximal elders. There are three convoys; and we share our control of the government with the Maximal elders. They help us out; and we help them. Although most bots think that the Maximal elders are _all wise and powerful_; but that's simply not true. They're just a bunch of old fogies who wouldn't know their exhaust ports from a hole in the ground."

"You sound as if you don't like them…" MegaZarak comments, "…Any particular reason?" "No, not really. I just don't like how most of the Maximal population looks up to them when we Convoys really control the Government; for the most part."

Just then a noise comes out of Wing's body. "Repair cycle complete. Systems fully functional." His internal computer states. "Well…it appears that you've repaired yourself Maximal…" he begins with a smirk, "…the perfect way to begin a new life as a Predacon!"

Back with the Vok agents…

"Good! Their shields are almost down!" Depth Charge announces. "Then let us begin the final assault!" Rampage states as his fists begin to glow. Depth Charge watches as he presses his wrists together; leaving his palms exposed; and shoots a beam of green plasma at the ship; shattering the shields and causing them to break into tiny glass like shards. "Hmm…Nice shot." Depth Charge comments and nods slightly. "Glad you approve…" Rampage smirks, and the two shake hands.

"Warpath! The shield's are down! Did you find Optimus!" Rhinox shouts as he unbuckles himself from the chair. Warpath races into the room, "No. It appears he left out of the roof hatch. I found it open near the rear of the ship." Rhinox's mouth drops in shock, "Oh no…Primus help us all then!"

"What do think we should do?" Warpath asks. "Quickly! See if you can reawaken the others! We will need them!" "So, we're going for the direct approach then?" Warpath comments. "Yep…" Rhinox states as he whips out his guns, "Now move!"

Meanwhile, back with Megatron…

"So that's the plan, huh?" Tidal Wave comments. "Exactly. Do you have any questions?" Megatron smirks a little. Tidal Wave shakes his head lightly; and Gigatron follows suit. "Good." Megatron smiles with delight, "Then let us gather up all the energon we can find; for we now have a _new agenda_…yessssss!" He throws his head back in triumphant laughter as Tidal Wave and Gigatron join in.

At that precise moment…

"So, what do you plan on doing now that you've lost your ship?" Wing states. "Hmm…not really sure…" MegaZarak comments, "I haven't really thought about that. I've been more concerned with finding that no good Tarantulas and giving him a piece of my mind…PERSONALLY!"

Just then they hear something, and both look up in the sky. "By the skidplate of Primus himself!" Wing states as he stares up in the sky. "What is that?" MegaZarak comments in confusion. "That is Optimus Primal; commander of that mission I told you about…" Wing begins, "…And a perfect diversion!"

Just then Wing Convoy takes out a sword and slashes MegaZarak across the chest, sending him collapsing to the ground. "What!" He stutters as he stares up at him, "What in the inferno are you doing!" "Showing you what it takes to be a true leader!" Wing Convoy states as he backhands him across the face with his sword, severely damaging him.

"I don't understand…" MegaZarak sputters out as he lays on the ground injured. "You 'Cons are all alike! Did you seriously think I'd join you? I'm a Convoy for crying out loud! I only played along because you injured me badly and I needed time to repair…" Wing explains, "And thanks to our little chat; not only did I get repaired; but I also got all the information I needed."

He roundhouse kicks MegaZarak across the face; breaking open his jaw mechanism and sending him into stasis lock, "Like you said, 'Decepticons aren't the only ones capable of deception."

Elsewhere…

The door of the Providus suddenly opens up as Rhinox and the others race out of the ship and start blasting the agents. "Don't stop firing Maximals…" Warpath commands, "These guys aren't going to go down easily; if at all."

"What a curious species…" Airazor states, "…They've come to face their deaths head on." "Indeed…" Tigatron states as they join Rampage and Depth Charge in front of the ship, "…We may need to acquire more emissaries for study."

"Study this!" Cheetor screams as he shoots Tigatron right square in the face. "What! Are you nuts!" Rattrap screams, "That's Tigatron!" "No…it's just Tigatron's spark inside a Vok body!" Cheetor comments and continues firing. "Jeesh…death is just minor inconvenience these days." Rattrap comments sarcastically.

"Destroy them! DESTROY THEM ALL!" Rampage commands as they use their Vok powers to fire bolts of lightning and balls of glowing plasma at the Maximals as they spread out and continue returning fire.

Just then two missiles explode behind the agents; sending them flying into the air and crashing about 30 feet in front of the Maximals. "What!" Silverbolt states as they all look out in shock to see something that none of them believe.

"Take them out Predacons! Leave no bot functional!" Fenrir commands as Waspinator, Nemesis and Skar swoop in and lay down a blanket of fire upon the fallen agents. "Man, this just keeps getting' weirder and weirder!" Rattrap states with great sarcasm.

"I still think this is an unwise move…" Six-Shot states as they charge into battle, weapons drawn. "Perhaps…but I want to destroy the Maximals myself!" Fenrir screams. "Why?" Six-Shot asks, confused. "Call it a personal vendetta…" Fenrir smirks as they continue running.

The agents quickly rise to their feet, "Uh oh." Depth Charge comments as he sees the other bots approaching. He quickly glances back to see the other Maximals firing at them and then pans up to see the ships auto guns still firing upon them. "We are out numbered! We need to regroup and recover!" "Are you insane!" Rampage asks, "We are the Vok! We do not admit defeat!" "Who said we were admitting defeat…" Depth Charge begins, "I merely said that we need to regroup."

Rampage stares at him for a brief moment; but finally nods in agreement. "Let's go!" He screams as he transforms into a giant crab-like creature and scurries away. The other agents transform into beast mode as well and race after him.

"I don't believe it…they're leaving!" Rattrap shouts in victory. The other raise their weapons in triumph. Just then Blackarachnia points out at the Predacons still advancing, "Uh yeah…but what about them!"

**Author's Notes:**

What will the Predacons do now that the Maximals are exhausted and cornered outside their ship? And what will the Vok agents do to get revenge? What about Oracle; will she track down the 'other Vok agent'? And how will Tarantulas's motives change with the emergence of his own Vok powers? What will MegaZarak do to Wing Convoy once he regains consciousness? And what of Megatron? With his new alliance with Gigatron and Tidal Wave; will anyone be able to stop him? And who is Optimus Primal going to consult now that he feels that no one trusts him anymore?

Keep watching…


	10. Episode 62: Other Encounters, Pt 3

**'Myth Wars': Episode 62: "Other Encounters: Part 3: The Beginning":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

"Oh great; first it's the Vok; now it's the Predacons…" Rattrap begins, "…what's next?" "Don't ask; you may not like the answer!" Snarl quickly interludes.

"Predacons; you heard my command…" Fenrir screams as they race towards the Maximals at full speed, "…Leave no bot functional!"

Silverbolt squints out across the advancing Predacon army. He loads two of his wing tip missiles and launches them at Waspinator and Nemesis; missing her but nailing Waspinator right in the head.

"Nice shot 'bolt…" Rattrap comments as he gives him the thumbs up. "Indeed it was…" Silverbolt states, standing triumphant with his hands on his hips.

Just then a missile impacts with his chest; sending him crashing into the Providus. "Keep your mind on the fight; fool!" Myrimidon states as he produces a bazooka-like cannon and shoots another missile at some of the other Maximals; sending them fleeing in all directions.

Elsewhere…

A group of early human anthropoids walk along through a lush green forest when the sky begins to cloud up and a tornado starts to form out of nowhere. The leader of the group waves his stone-pierced wooden club in the air and hollers at the others to run away.

"Well would you look at this?" Tarantulas mutters sarcastically as he floats through the tornado; using his powers to protect him. "It would appear that a group of pre-historical cave-dwellers have stumbled into my path…_whatever _shall I do?" He states as he glares down at them evilly; leaving the lone group leader shaking in terror.

Back with Megatron…

"Is all in readiness?" he asks Tidal Wave as he loads the last lump of raw energon into the ship. "Yup; that's all of it." He replies.

"Good…then all we need to do is wait for the energon-processing unit that Gigatron was nice enough to build to convert the energon into stable cubes; and then we'll be on our way…" he smirks and rubs his hands together in anticipation.

Meanwhile…

"I can not believe you let those rust buckets beat us!" Rampage screams at Depth Charge as they stand in a large clearing. Depth Charge shoves him back into a wall, "You are letting you're emotions get the best of you…" he begins, "…besides; we can not fight them when our own bodies are constantly fighting the sparks of their former hosts!"

"Yes…this is true…but we still should not have left!" Rampage continues as he rises to his feet. "I have this strange urge to kill you that I can't explain," Depth Charge begins, "Don't make me unleash it!"

"Please…we must not fight amongst ourselves…" Tigatron states as he floats in-between the two bots, "…We need to figure out a way to remove the sparks from these bodies; and then we can be at full strength to attack them!" He extends his arm in the air in triumph and fires off a bolt of electricity into the atmosphere. "Agreed." Airazor adds as she nods a little and joins the others.

Back with Tarantulas…

He uses his powers to start to levitate the anthropoid when the sound of an explosion distracts him. He looks up to see a bolt of electricity echo upwards into a cloud.

"Hmm…unusual…" he mutters as he rubs his chin lightly. Looking back briefly at the anthropoid; he tosses him aside and stares out across the landscape towards the area where the bolt came from near the edge of the horizon.

"Well…it would appear that I have a more pressing matter…" he states as he addresses the anthropoid who is now backing away from him in fear, "…enjoy your time upon this mud ball; it will end soon!"

With the Maximals…

"Here they come!" Cheetor cries out as the Predacons finish making the dash across the distance separating them. Fenrir clenches his fist and attempts to deliver an uppercut to Blackarachnia but misses by mere inches.

"Don't you know it's not nice to hit a lady?" she asks him as she regains her composure. "If I see a lady; I'll let you know…" Fenrir begins, "…Besides, chivalry is dead; just like you're going to be once I finish with you!"

"You're going to have to go through me first Predacon filth!" Silverbolt states as he tosses one of his wingtip missiles at Fenrir. Fenrir whips out his sword and slices it in half in mid air, "That shouldn't be a problem…" he smirks happily.

"Oh…Wazpinator not like doggy-bot…" Waspinator mumbles as he slowly rises to his feet, re-adjusting his head. "Are you a complete moron?" Nemesis asks as he swoops down and lands next to him. "Wazpinator not moron…Wazpinator just have really bad luck." He replies with a smile; leaving her only to roll her optics.

Snarl and Six-Shot begin to battle as Snarl punches him in the stomach; causing him to drop to his knees in pain.

"Give it up Predacon…this war is not yours to fight!" Snarl states as he clamps his fists together and smashes Six-Shot on the back of the head. He collapses fully to the ground and spits out some mech fluid. "It is now…" he sneers as he wipes his mouth and delivers a surprise uppercut to Snarl; leveling him.

In another part of the battlefield; Rhinox engages Skar in battle, pulversing him with his chain guns of doom.

Suddenly Skar collapses; and Rhinox stops shooting. But Skar looks up and him and smirks; and takes to the air into a nosedive and punches Rhinox in the face; knocking the massive bot over.

Skar stands on top of Rhinox and aims one of his shoulder cannons at his head. Rhinox looks at Skar's neck and notices a large section missing; causing him to twitch occasionally. "What's wrong with you?" Rhinox asks, both confused and trying to alter the situation.

But Skar doesn't answer; instead merely covers up his neck wound and rubs it lightly in pain. "What _is _wrong with you?" Rhinox asks; now completely confused.

"He's a mute." A voice states; and Rhinox looks over to see Nemesis walking up to them. "During the Predacon reformatting process; his voice-processing unit was destroyed. It nearly shattered his entire neuro-network…" Nemesis states, "…But as you can see; he's better now!" She whips out one of her swords and Skar smiles happily; realigning his cannon.

Rhinox grits his teeth and with one massive heave he throws Skar off of him and whips out his gun and starts shooting at both Skar and Nemesis simultaneously. The shots miss Nemesis and she takes off; but they hit Skar and knock him out cold. "Thanks for the news!" Rhinox laughs and half-heartily salutes Nemesis as she transforms and takes off.

About 100 miles south of all of this…

"Finally! I can see it!" Optimus states as he cruises along at full speed towards a very familiar mountain.

As he descends, he transforms into robot mode and lands near the side of the mountain; and stares up at the front of a massive ship sticking out. "I just hope you're up for a little chat…" he begins when he hears something move behind him in some bushes. Whipping around; all he sees are leaves float gently to the ground in front of the bushes.

"Hmm…" he thinks quietly to himself as he carefully looks around him for any sign of movement. Just then a mechanical scream pierces the air and he quickly turns around to see a group of 3 Cyber-Raptors stand in attack formation around him.

Optimus smiles with slight happiness, "Good…just what I need to let off a little steam…"

Meanwhile…

"Uh…that bot can hit!" MegaZarak states as he slowly rises to his feet; realigning his jaw and reconnecting a few wires.

He slowly scans across the terrain, "I know that low down pile of Autobot-wannabe trash couldn't have gotten far…" In his sights his targeting system locks onto a faint trail of air disturbance nearly 5 miles away. "Ah yes…so the hunt begins…" he smirks as he transforms painfully into beast mode and slithers away.

Back with the other Predacons…

Fenrir attacks Silverbolt; and the two lock hands as each tries to gain the upper hand.

"You fight well...for a Maximal!" Fenrir comments as he tries to twist and break Silverbolt's wrists; but Silverbolt holds his own and throws Fenrir back. "You know nothing of what we're capable of; villain!" Silverbolt proclaims as he watches Fenrir stumble backwards.

"Oh yeah?" Fenrir smirks as he regains his balance. "Fenrir…Flight Mode!" he screams as he transforms into a jet and takes to the air. Silverbolt merely stares up in shock as Fenrir zooms through the air with amazing ease and grace; almost like a professional.

"I knew I recognized that voice!" Blackarachnia screams as she watches Fenrir do aerial stunts, "You're Starscream!" "That's where you're wrong, my sweet…" Fenrir begins as he maneuvers to face her and opens up his twin gun ports, "…I'm not Starscream!"

Blackarachnia stares in shock at the new revelation and Fenrir capitalizes as he opens fire upon her. But as the laser blasts travel through the air Silverbolt transforms in beast mode and dives into the path of the blasts; taking the full brunt of the shots.

"SILVERBOLT! NO!" She cries out as he goes down in a trail of thick black smoke. "An interesting development…" Fenrir states as he hovers in the air and realigns his cannons at Blackarachnia. She stops in mid run to Silverbolt as she notices Fenrir realigning for another attack. "Not this time…" she begins as she closes her optics and her chest orb begins to glow. Fenrir watches in slight confusion as he begins to charge his cannons for another attack when he spots something moving out of the corner of his field of vision.

He turns to see a large missile that had been knocked off of the ship during the crash wiggle and float into the air. Just then Blackarachnia's optics open and glow as she uses her powers to hurl the missile directly into Fenrir. "This'll teach you to mess with me…" she looks down at Silverbolt as he quivers in pain, "…and my man." The missile collides with him; shattering him into pieces in a gigantic earth-shaking explosion of white blinding light.

The force of the explosion is so great that a massive shockwave is produced; knocking all of the robots to the ground with a powerful gust of energized wind. They all lie on the ground, temporarily knocked out.

Back with Primal…

He extends his cannons from his upper torso and aims at the central raptor. "I'm not in a good mood right now; you've caught me at a bad time!" He states as he fires and blows the central raptor away; leaving only a cloud of dust where it used to be.

The other two raptors spread out and flank Optimus; the one of the left lunging and attacking Primal in the leg. Optimus clenches his fist and punches the raptor; sending it skidding across the ground as the other raptor sinks its claws into his other arm.

Optimus shakes him loose and kicks the raptor clear across the horizon as the punched raptor shakes its head and rises to its feet again. "You guys don't know when to give up; do you?" Optimus smiles as the raptor races towards Optimus at full speed but Optimus merely lifts his foot and smushes him beneath his heel.

The last raptor reappears from behind some distant rocks and attacks Optimus as he turns his back and walks towards the mountain. Optimus senses something behind him; and turns to see the raptor jump onto a large boulder and dive through the air at him.

But with one move; Optimus catches the raptor in mid air and throws him into another rock; shattering his control unit on his back and causing him to malfunction and short out.

"Now…" Optimus says as he turns to see the two metal door entrances of their old headquarters partially standing but severely damaged, "…To get some real advice!"

Meanwhile; with his arch enemy…

"The energon cubes are ready and loaded Megatron!" Gigatron announces as he stands near the entrance ramp to the ship. "Excellent; then all is prepared…" he begins as he strolls up to the entrance, "…Tidal Wave; begin refueling the ship's engines with the new cubes. Gigatron; you monitor the engine's power level and alert me when we are ready to take off!"

He turns to look out across the landscape one last time before boarding the ship, "My destiny awaits!"

Elsewhere…

Tarantulas carefully climbed up the side of a mountain and stares over the edge of the peak down below at the four Vok agents standing around talking to each other.

Suddenly his own body begins to convulse and he tumbles back down the hill, crying out in pain as he bounces off of rocks and collides into the ground with a loud thud.

"Ooof!" he cries out as he shakes off the stun of the fall and rises to his feet. "It would appear that the Vok inside me aren't so dormant after all…" he rubs his chin in thought, "…so that leaves me with a choice: Extract the Vok from within myself and lose some of my power; or fight them and suffer great pain?"

Back with the Maximals…

"Ohhh…what hit me?" Rhinox states as he rubs his head in pain. "I don't know…" Rattrap begins as he knocks a couple of loose nuts out of his head, "…But I don't wanna go through it again; dat's for sure!"

"Oh great! Now they've destroyed Fenrir!" Nemesis states as she rises to her feet and picks up a piece of Fenrir's body. "Yeah! For once Wazpinator not get blown up!" Waspinator shouts in glee as he dances around happily. "ARGH! Shut up!" Nemesis screams as she tosses one of her blades directly through Waspinator's head; skewering him to a nearby rock. "Ah, why birdy-bot always so mean to Wazpinator?" He mutters as he tries to yank the blade out of his head; leaving her only to shake her head in disappointment.

"This battle is not over Maximals…" Six-Shot begins as he and the other able-bodied Predacons gather up the pieces of Fenrir, "…We will have our vengeance!"

Nemesis begins to leave as she remembers that one of her swords is stuck in Waspinator's head. She walks over to him and looks at him adoringly, "Thanks for taking care of my blade…" she trails off as she rips it out of his head. He smiles at her with a silly grin and he falls to the ground.

As the Predacons leave the battlefield; the Maximals begin to reawaken. Waspinator looks around in confusion; realizing that he's all alone and severely damaged.

"Uh…Maximals be nice to Wazpinator…" Waspinator grins sheepishly as Rhinox, Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, Cheetor and Rattrap all walk up to him and stare at him disapprovingly. "And why should we do that?" Rattrap comments; cocking his pistol. "Because…" Waspinator begins as he gulps in fear, "…Because Wazpinator wants to join the Maximals!"

Back with MegaZarak…

"Argh! That low down piece of slag has eluded me!" he screams in frustration. He sneers as he transforms into robot mode and begins to walk across the dusty ground, "Great…now I have two bots to kill!"

Elsewhere…

"We're ready to go Megatron!" Gigatron announces as he sits in one of the chairs inside the ship. "Perfect…" Megatron begins as he assumes the pilot's chair and presses a few buttons to engage the engines. The ships roars to life and it begins to levitate into the air, "…Now to fulfill that which has been chronicled in the Covenant of Primus: 'The Great Dragon could not be stopped; and the war of the beasts enters a new phase; that of mythological proportions and battles the likes of which have never been seen by the optics of any one; no matter the allegiance!'"

Meanwhile…

Optimus pries open the blast doors to their old base and enters the main area. The former bridge of the Axalon hangs partially broken; hovering about 10 feet above a lava bed. Optimus looks up approvingly at the Ark; and transforms into flight mode and makes his way over to the entrance.

Downloading the codes from his body; he opens the doors of the Ark once again, "Here I am in the footsteps of history again…and in the presence of the greatest leader of Transformer history…" Optimus begins as he steps into the Ark and the doors start to close behind him, "…I just hope that you can help me; Optimus Prime!"

Back with the Maximals…

"My ship!" A voice cries out as the Maximals turn to see Wing Convoy walk up to the ship with his hands on his head, "What did you do to it!"

"Oh great…guess who's back?" Rattrap mutters sarcastically. The Maximals all stare at him in contempt.

"Looks like Primal's crew's just as much of a screw-up as Primal himself!" Wing Convoy screams, examining the damage to his ship.

Just then he hears the sound of cocking weapons; and he turns to see Rhinox, Rattrap, Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, Cheetor, and Waspinator all draw their weapons with Snarl and Warpath no where to be seen.

"So that's how it's going to be… 'Mutiny on the Providus' huh?" Wing Convoy begins as he grabs his swords and assumes a battle stance, "…We'll just see about that!"

**Author's Notes:**

Wing Convoy's back; but no one wants him back...what will happen? And Waspinator has quit the Predacons again and joined the Maximals! How will this play out? And with the revelations of Skar's muteness and the destruction of Fenrir (temporarily); what will be the next move for the Predacons? And what of MegaZarak? How will Tarantulas cope with the Vok trying to fight back; and how will the Vok agents cope with the sparks of their former hosts fighting back as well? And will Optimus Primal get the answers he needs from Optimus Prime? And what grand scheme does Megatron have in store for everyone?

Keep watchin!


	11. Episode 63: Heroes

**'Myth Wars': Episode 63: "Heroes":**

"We don't want to fight you Wing Convoy…" Silverbolt begins. "Heh…speak for yourself!" Rattrap begins as he aims his pistol as Wing, "...I've been waitin' a long time to thank him for stranding us on this mud ball!"

"You're all fools! This will get you no where!" Wing Convoy begins as he stares them down; moving around a little with his weapons drawn, "Destroying me will leave you leaderless now that Optimus is gone…"

"Yeah; because of you!" Blackarachnia screams. "Because of me! I did nothing more than state the truth of his failure; he had to reason to let Megatron survive and lose those stasis pods!" Wing screams in response.

"I say we slag him right now!" Cheetor proclaims; raising his cannon at Wing. Wing eyes him carefully; waiting for him to make the first move, "I am in charge of the Maximals; I am the ultimate authority…you have no right…"

"You're only partially in charge as I remember." Rhinox states, "You make up a third of the High Counsel with LioConvoy and Big Convoy!" "Yes; this is true; but as they are not here; that makes me the superior officer and the ruling body of this group of Maximals!"

Wing Convoy clenches his fists in anger and pulls his arms in close to his body, "I am in charge! Do you here me! I am Wing Convoy; and I will have order and perfection! And if you wannabes really want to try your luck with me; there'll be consequences to pay; the likes of which you can not imagine! You will all be treated as traitors to the Maximals when we get back to Cybertron!"

"Back to Cybertron?" Silverbolt questions. "Since when we were going back to Cybertron?" Blackarachnia asks. "I came here for one specific reason: To find Gigatron and bring him to justice; but since I haven't seen hide-or-hair of him anywhere; I'm guessing that he's long gone; as should I be!"

"Heh…this is all news to me." Rattrap states, shrugging his shoulders. "Who's Gigatron?" Rhinox asks. "He's the one who aided Megatron in the theft of our most guarded relic; the Golden Disk! He and his flunkies were in on it; but we stumbled upon them just as they were about to steal the disk. And as Megatron and Dinobot made their escape out of the storage facility we had for the disk and escaped in their ship with the rest of Megatron's criminals; Gigatron and his crew were captured and imprisoned on one of the moons; separated totally from the other Predacons in the orbiting outposts!"

Wing Convoy waves his hand around a little, "Oh sure, Cryotek had his hand in the Golden Disk theft; as I became aware after Tidal Wave broke down and told us everything; but he disappeared quite quickly...and we never heard from him again. But Gigatron and his crew somehow managed to escape; and I was blamed for it. ME! I had nothing to do with their escape; but yet I was blamed. So I was assigned the task of tracking him down and capturing him by the other two members of the High Counsel and the Maximal Elders; and I tracked him back to here. But I haven't seen him or his flunkies anywhere…my guess is that they've been destroyed; probably in a crash."

"You haven't seen Megatron; but he obviously survived his crash landing!" Rhinox states. "Oh yeah; and I'm just supposed to take your word for it?" Wing states.

"No…" Waspinator states, stepping forward, "…Waspinator was one of Megatron's crew. Waspinator tell you that Megatron and other Predacons survived." Wing Convoy stares in blank shock for a few seconds, "Well I'll be damned! I remember reading the disk theft reports! You were one of the crew; although you're name has changed slightly…" Wing comments. Waspinator simply buzzes his wings a little.

"You see Wing…Optimus has been fighting Megatron and his crew for a long time now…the Beast Wars have been raging on for some time before you came along…" Cheetor begins, "…You had no right to talk to him that way!" Wing rubs his chin quietly for a minute; saying nothing.

Finally he speaks, "I'm not going to say whether or not you're right yet…I need to speak with Primal first. I will make my decision then and only then."

Elsewhere…

Optimus walks down the massive empty hallways of the Ark; passing various Decepticons and Autobots along the way.

He comes upon the body of Optimus Prime; still slumped over in his command chair; just as they had left him. Using his foot thrusters; Primal levitates himself to look the great Autobot leader in the face and smiles; knowing that for the moment; Prime is at peace.

Primal slowly closes his optics; allowing the cockpit of his chest to unfold open and expose the inner workings of his body. A small chamber opens; and reveals his spark.

He pushes against Primes' chest; and with a small puff of white smoke; the doors to Prime's spark chamber open up; revealing his spark and the Autobot Matrix of Leadership.

Clasping the Matrix firmly in both hands; he pulls it closer and closer to his body; until a beam of white light juts out and connects both his and Prime's sparks; causing him to scream out in horrible pain.

The force of the combination throws him back and smashes him into the controls of the Ark. He lies on the ground stunned for a moment; but then rises and looks around for a brief moment to see if he's damaged the Ark in any way; but sighs once he realizes that all is well.

Just then Primal suddenly collapses and falls to the ground and goes offline…

Back with the Vok agents…

"Then it's settled! We will channel our energy together and remove the sparks from our bodies." Tigatron states to the three other agents, "We must restore the balance."

"So; the meddling aliens have decided to return…" a voice calls out; drawing the attention of the Vok agents. "TARANTULAS!" they all call out as they see him peer at them from atop the hill; kneeling down on one knee.

"You have no business here…leave or be destroyed!" Depth Charge calls out as he watches Tarantulas come down the hill towards them. "Oh, but that is where you are wrong…I have _every reason_ to be here…" Tarantulas laughs cruelly as his fists begin to glow; and the faint images of the Vok inside his body appear briefly then retreat back into his body. Tigatron growls at him, clenching his fists in anger.

"You see; I have learned not only to deal with you Vok; but I've also learned how to control you as well. I've made the Vok inside me be submissive; and I can do the same to you!"

"Why do you hate us so much Tarantulas?" Airazor asks. "It's your fault that I and the Tripredacus Counsel have not completed our plan…and it is you who have been trying to use Unicron!" he states.

"You speak in tongues…explain!" Tigatron demands. "It's because of your arrogance and interference that I was never able to destroy the Ark and eliminate the Autobots and Decepticons from history! And it was you who are trying to imprison Unicron here upon Earth; making it so that he couldn't attack and destroy your home world in the future; stranding you and your kind in Nexus Zero! And it was you who were planning on using this little 'project' of yours to rewrite history to better suit yourselves; and thereby ruined my plans to build an armada to take back to Cybertron and begin the glorious rule of the Tripredacus Counsel!" Tarantulas smirks a little, "…And it was you who tried to rebuild and control me; which; as you will soon find out; is your final mistake!" He throws his head back a little and laughs with delight.

Meanwhile, inside the Antagony…

"So…explain to me why I'm stuck trying to piece Fenrir back together?" Nemesis states as she holds up his badly damaged and burnt head and chucks it across the room.

"Because; we need to begin the final repairs to the ship; and since we are the ones who initially piloted the ship…" Six-Shot begins, "…Then it is us who will be making the repairs! Besides, that loser-bug who hangs around you like moss on a tree is missing."

Nemesis looks up in shock for a brief moment; but quickly regains her composure, "Uh…I hadn't noticed that he was missing…" She states. Six-Shot raises a brow in question; but dismisses it as nothing and turns to leave, "Let us know when you've got him repaired." "I'll be sure to do that…" Nemesis sneers; watching him leave, "…after I finish my 'other' business!"

Back with the Maximals…

"Well Rhinox; that's quite the story," Wing Convoy states as they all sit and stand around the central table, "But I'm not sure what to make of it…parts of it sound too far fetched to me…especially the whole business with the Ark. That's just a legend; the ship doesn't really exist."

"You'd better believe it exists," Rattrap comments, "We've all seen it with our own optics; and we had to defend it from Megatron." "Do you experience anything _unusual_ back on Cybertron…like you were fading in and out of exsistence?" Rhinox asks. Wing sits quietly for a moment; but then speaks, "Alright…so I did experience something like that…lemme guess; you caused that?" "No, Megatron did when he blasted Optimus Prime's head apart!" Cheetor chimes in.

"Really? Then how are we all still in existence?" Wing asks. "Optimus Primal took the original Optimus's spark into his body; and became that form that you saw." Rhinox explains.

"That fool! Didn't he know that he couldn't hold two sparks in his body!" Wing asks. "He knew; but we had no choice…if he didn't do that; we would have all died…" Silverbolt comments.

"Still the point remains that he's to blame for all of this! He let Megatron get into the Ark and nearly destroy the original Prime and he…" Just then he's cut off as Rhinox jumps to his feet and grabs Wing by the neck.

He lifts Wing into the air single-handedly and stares him dead in the face. "Listen here…Optimus did his best. He didn't let Megatron into the Ark; nor did he let the stasis pods fall into Predacon hands without putting his life on the line first! He died to save this planet; and I brought him back from the other side of the Matrix; and I know that if the situation came up again where Optimus needed to sacrifice himself again he would do it in a nano-click; understood!"

Wing Convoy grabs Rhinox's hands and tries to free himself from his grip; but Rhinox is too strong. "If you don't let me go; I'll…" "DO YOU UNDERSTAND!" Rhinox growls as he tightens his grip on Wing's neck.

Just then Wing kicks him in the torso and Rhinox drops him. Almost instantly the other Maximals draw their weapons and begin firing upon Wing Convoy.

"Tretcherous fools! You will all suffer for this! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!" Wing screams as he shields himself from the blasts with his wings and attempts to make a hasty retreat out of the door; but turns to see Rattrap standing in his way.

"I've waited a long time fer dis!" He shouts as he winds up his fist and punches Wing Convoy dead on in the face; knocking flat on his back to the ground. The other Maximals watch and give Rattrap a thumbs up in approval; and he returns the thumbs up with a wink.

Back with Optimus…

"Where…where am I?" he asks as he looks around in confusion. The entire surrounding landscape is completely black; with nothing at all in sight in any direction.

"Oh no…I can't be back here…" Optimus begins as he starts to recall something. But then a sound comes; and he turns to see a glowing silhouette of a figure standing before him.

"It's good to see you again, Optimus Primal." The figure states; and extends a hand. Primal's mouth hangs open as he stares at the figure in disbelief, "It's really you…Optimus Prime!"

"Yes…I'm here; inside the void of the Matrix." He tells Primal. Primal slowly takes Prime's hand and shakes it; still not quite believing what's going on. "But…how? You're in stasis lock! I was going to…" "It's alright Optimus Primal. Stasis lock is no more than a state for the body to repair itself in; it does not affect the spark." Prime explains.

"So…you mean that you were aware of what was going on?" Primal asks. "Yes…I saw your Megatron charge his weapon and try to destroy me…that was a brave and noble thing you did; taking my spark into your body." "I had no choice!" Primal states. "You did though…one of the other bots could have taken on the burden; or you could have done nothing at all…and even though you knew that you couldn't handle the stress of two sparks inside your body; you still did it. You not only saved me; but history as well." Prime states.

"So you know what's going to happen?" Primal asks. "No…I don't. No one can really know; the future is not fixed. But once it has been done; it can not be undone; at least under normal circumstances." Prime states, "I do know that you are distant descendants of the other Autobots and I; and that we play a role in your creation." "How do you know this?" Primal asks. "When you held my spark in your body; I saw through your optics. I learned a lot from you; Optimus Primal; you are a good leader."

"Well, at least you think so…" Primal states. "Hmm…you have doubts about your leadership skills?" Prime asks. "I didn't; but my superior officer Wing Convoy does…" Primal states. "Hmm…I can't help you with him; but I know someone who might be able to…"

Just then a burst of light fills the area; blinding Primal for a moment. The light begins to subside; and Primal lowers his arm from his face and stares in utter shock at who he sees.

Meanwhile…

"Violence will not be tolerated!" Tigatron states as he and the other Vok agents stare down Tarantulas. Tarantulas cackles with evil delight and whips out two small daggers.

Tigatron and Airazor stare at him and growl with comtempt. Meanwhile, Rampage and Depth Charge talk to each other behind them.

"I thought Oracle was going to take care of him?" Rampage states. "Well…it looks like she blew it!" Depth Charge comments.

"Oh, quite the contrary…" Tarantulas begins, "I've got a nice little surprise for her…hehehe!" "How did you know of her?" Airazor demands. "Simple. I have Vok in me; and I possess Vok knowledge." He laughs a little as he watches the four agents stand around him in an attack formation, "You don't know what you're dealing with!"

Back with Optimus…

A figure in white and golden brown hovers effortlessly in the air; his wings slowly moving like an angel's wings. "Optimus; it's good to see you again." The figure states; his voice hoarse and powerful. "DINOBOT!" Optimus shouts in utter shock.

"Yes Optimus…It is me." Dinobot states. "But; you look different…" Primal states in confusion. "My form as become somewhat 'devine' I suppose you could say…" Dinobot laughs a little, "…I'm a Tengu now. I died in Tengu sector and that's what I was ascended as…odd; yes; but true never-the-less."

"I've finally found peace Optimus; here with the great leaders of Cybertron's past…" he states. "But…but…" Optimus states. "It is alright; I am still the Predacon I always was; but now I have become something more…" he smiles happily, "I've become a true warrior and a hero. I am one."

"I had no idea…" Optimus states. "A warrior's journey is often paved in stones of his enemie's lives; but a true warrior is willing to accept death in order to save those he cares for; and those who can not defend themselves." His expression becomes sad as he looks Primal directly in the optics, "You see Optimus; I never had a path before. I would just fight the enemy; never really having an ultimate goal in life. I truly believed that I had missed my opportunity to be something more than just a warrior; I believed that I had missed the one true test that life held in store for me. But; as I watched Megatron and the other Predacons attack the anthropoids, I could not stand by idle. I knew that if I did not act; that Megatron would destroy history and all that had been done in the past would have been in vain. I had found my destiny."

"But you came back…in that Transmetal 2 clone. Why did you let yourself die again?" Primal asks. "I knew that I could have saved myself, Optimus; but I still and will always have my honor." He smiles thankfully.

"Can you help me Dinobot?" Primal asks. "What is it that you need to know?" Dinobot asks, floating closer to Optimus. "Wing Convoy does not have faith in my abilities to lead; and I think he's right…" Optimus states as he looks away; ashamed.

"Do not let him get to you Optimus." Dinobot growls. "Wing Convoy is an idiot! Megatron and I had previous run-ins with him back on Cybertron; and I can tell you that he only believes in victory; failure is not in his vocabulary; no matter how valorous the effort."

He touches Optimus's hand lightly; and Optimus looks up at him with a lighter expression, "I only served under your command for a brief time; Optimus Primal; but I do know this: There is no other bot that I would be honored to call my leader."

Optimus holds his hand over his mouth; unable to speak. Dinobot smiles at him as he looks away for a moment; too choked up to respond.

"There are other variables at play here Optimus," Dinobot begins, "There is more going on than you are aware of." "What do you mean?" Primal asks. "The others are in danger; and something is going to happen; something so terrible and unbelievable that it will alter the course of things to come; and not in a good way…"

"You had better leave; Optimus Primal." Optimus Prime states; shaking Primal's hand, "Let the Matrix guide you; and help you in your decisions. You are a wise and powerful leader; and no matter what anyone says; nothing will change that."

"Thanks Optimus Prime; you words have had more meaning to me than you'll ever know." Primal states, "And yours too Dinobot."

"I'm glad I could help you Optimus…" Dinobot proudly shakes Primal's hand one last time, "…Farewell."

And as he and Optimus Prime begin to fade into the blackness, a final smile and salute from Dinobot fill Optimus with great joy.

Suddenly Optimus Primal jolts awake; and looks around to find himself back inside the Ark.

"I will never forget you Dinobot; you are truly a hero." Optimus states somberly as he stands up fully and salutes with full honor; knowing that somewhere up there Dinobot is smiling down upon him.

_**This episode is dedicated to the memory of Dinobot…a hero forever and always!**_


	12. Episode 64: Other Variables, Pt 1

**'Myth Wars': Episode 64: "Other Variables: Part 1: Death's Door":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

Deep inside the Ark Optimus Primal looks upon the stasis-locked Optimus Prime one last time before he releases his spark and closes the Matrix again. He gently places the Matrix back into Prime's chest; and his chest slowly closes as his optics light up for a brief moment. And as Optimus Prime goes back into stasis lock; Optimus Primal sighs a deep breath of relief.

"Thanks for all your help." Optimus states as he smiles and slowly walks away from Optimus Prime's body.

Optimus proudly makes his way down the hall; passing various Decepticons and Autobots; when something makes him stop dead in his tracks.

"No! But how…?" He stutters in utter disbelief as he stares at the body of the original Megatron; and his open and empty spark chamber.

Immediately Optimus begins to look around; using his laser targeting system to illuminate the area. "I know you're here…" Optimus begins as he slowly stomps through the ship.

"Well…it's so good to see you again; Optimal Optimus," a voice states from behind him, "It seems like it's been ages." "What are you doing here Megatron!" Optimus demands as he whips around to see Megatron standing behind him; the covenant of Primus in his dragon mouth hand and a large metal box-like weapon in his actual hand.

"Oh; well you see Optimus; I came here to; how shall I say; fulfill my destiny!" Megatron sneers as he stares down Primal from the other side of the ship near Optimus Prime's body. " 'And though the great Dragon was cast out upon the Earth without his followers or his power; again he rose with a new army and a more elaborate agenda!' ". Megatron quotes. "Perhaps you should have read the book more carefully Optimus." Megatron sneers.

"Haven't you learned that you can't win yet?" Optimus states as he walks towards him. "Oh on the contrary Optimal Optimus…for I have a few surprises for you…oh yesss indeed!" Megatron sneers as two shadowy figures appear behind Megatron.

"What in the name of Primus?" Optimus states. "A few of my _former collegues_ decided to drop by…" Megatron begins, "…I'm sure you remember Gigatron and Tidal Wave!"

"Dang; when you said he was big…I had no idea!" Gigatron states as he stares at the towering Optimus. "Heh…but he's no match for me!" Tidal Wave states as he grinds his fists together in eager anticipation.

"Not in here Megatron…I won't allow you to interrupt time again!" Optimus states defiantly. "Ah, but alas you have no choice Primal; for you see I have a plan; and I'm not going to allow you to interfere with it!" Megatron sneers angrily, "Predacons… OBLITERATE HIM!"

Back with the Maximals…

"Well…it looks like the _great Wing Convoy _is finally waking up." Rattrap says as he stands above Wing. Wing slowly sits up; using his arm to prop himself up. "Uh…what hit me?" Wing asks; slightly out of it. "Ah…the poor little _baby_ doesn't rememba…ain't that just prime!" Rattrap mocks.

"You!" Wing states as he suddenly realizes where he is, "I've had enough of your tretchery! I am the law of this land; and you will suffer when I get back to Cybertron…oh yes; I'll make sure of that!" Wing screams in anger as he draws his swords.

The other Maximals stand around him; their weapons drawn. "You're nothin' but a coward!" Rattrap states. "You really need to realize that not every time you win." Rhinox explains; trying to control his temper.

"Ha! You're all fools! There is only victory! Failure is unacceptable; no matter the circumstances!" Wing states as stands his ground. "Give it up! You're not going to win!" Cheetor states as they slowly close in on Wing Convoy. Wing notices two shadowy figures move in the background near the entrance to the rear of the ship. "Wanna bet?" Wing smiles.

Elsewhere…

"Leave here now Tarantulas! We have other agendas to attend to that do not concern you!" Tigatron states. "No! I'm tired of you always interfering with my plans! I'm going to destroy you all once and for all!" Tarantulas screams as he whips out a blaster weapon. "How are going to do that?" Rampage asks mockingly.

He presses the trigger and the end of the weapon opens up and emits a ray of pure energy. As the waves travel through the air they impact with the four agents; causing to convulse in intense pain.

"So you see; the answer is really quite simple…" Tarantulas begins as he continues firing upon the collapsing Vok agents, "…I'm going to make you suffer before I destroy each and every last one of you!"

Back with the Predacons…

"Finally! He's back together!" Nemesis shouts as she sighs a breath of relief.

"Ow…" Fenrir mutters as he tries to move, "…I think you missed a few pieces!"

Nemesis laughs a little, "Well, you were blown half to scrap. We're lucky we found the parts of you that we did!" she comments.

"Yes…I remember now…" Fenrir states as he tries to move again. Nemesis flinches a little as she hears parts of him creak and snap. "Yeah…I'm defiantly missing a few pieces."

Fenrir slowly makes his way towards the front of the ship; creaking the whole way. "Good…now that that's out of the way…" Nemesis begins as she transforms, "…I can attend to my other business!"

In other parts…

"At last! I've finally tracked down Tarantulas!" Oracle states as she floats towards a deep canyon.

"Wait…this area is familiar…" She looks around in surprise. "GREETINGS AGAIN VOK!" a voice booms. "Unicron!" Oracle shouts in shock.

Back inside the Ark…

Gigatron and Tidal Wave race down the corridor at full speed towards Optimus; and Optimus reaches out and grabs Gigatron; flinging him against a wall, but Gigatron rises and races towards Optimus again.

"This is between you and me Megarton!" Optimus shouts as he punches Tidal Wave in the face. Tidal Wave rises and punches Optimus in the stomach; causing him to groan in pain a little. "Ah, but you see; while they distract you; I'm going to fulfill my destiny by extracting the spark of Optimus Prime and destroying it right before your helpless optics!" Megatron shouts as he holds up the metal device. The other 2 Predacons continue to attack Optimus; trying to beat him into submission; but Optimus resists; throwing them off of him and exchanging powerful blows.

Gigatron attempts to kick Optimus in the shin; but Optimus turns and blasts him with his chest cannons; sending him reeling back into the body of Starscream. Gigatron bounces off of his body and falls to the ground nearby, "Ouch…now that hurt!"

Tidal Wave continues to attack Optimus and they try to punch each other at the same time; and their fists meet mid way; causing both to stumble backwards from the force. Optimus is the first to get up though; and he lifts Tidal Wave up high above his head and throws him across the ship into Gigatron.

"What is that thing!" Primal shouts as he struggles to keep Tidal Wave off of him. "That's a Spark Destroying Unit, ya stupid ape!" Gigatron states as he rises to his feet and makes his way towards Optimus.

"Originally we were going to use that on Megatron. But since then; Megatron and us have overcome our differences; and now we see that taking out Optimus Prime here and now is the better plan!" Gigatron explains. "It's a primitive unit…" Tidal Wave begins, "…It leaves the spark's essence inside the body for a few minutes after the spark's been removed; but after that; it certainly gets the job done!" "No…you can't!" Optimus shouts as he wrestles Tidal Wave loose from his arm and begins running towards Megatron.

Gigatron produces his tail lance and tosses it like a spear into Optimus's back; sending him crashing to the ground; landing on his stomach. Megatron laughs as he flies into the air, "Oh; you just watch me Optimus…oh yess!" Megatron states as he raises the unit to face Optimus Prime.

Meanwhile, elsewhere…

Tarantulas throws his head back with great amusement as he watches the Vok agents collapse to the ground.

They cry out in intense, unbearable pain; and as they fall to the ground; the Vok from within them begin to emerge and float around outside of the bodies.

"And just where do you think _you're _going?" Tarantulas states as he extends his hand into the air. It begins to glow; and the floating heads stop in mid flight and begin to move towards him.

Tarantulas concentrates; causing his hand to glow a fierce red and energy beams shoot out from his hand; entering into the Vok and vaporizing them within a few seconds.

He snickers lightly as his fists stops glowing, "At last! Those pesky Vok are gone…" He begins to walk away, "…Now to reclaim the Antagony!"

At the same time elsewhere…

"So, I see your still here Unicron…I thought you would have died by now!" Oracle states in contempt. "I AM ETERNAL…THAT WHICH DOES NOT BECOME PART OF ME SHALL BECOME VOID!" Unicron retorts. "Ha! I'm not a part of you…" Oracle taunts. "NOT YET…" Unicron comments. "There are worse things in this universe than you; Unicron…I don't fear you!" Oracle states, "…After all; it was I who trapped you here!" "FOR THE MOMENT; BUT I WILL BE RESURRECTED AGAIN!" Unicron responds. "Not if I have anything to do with it!" she replies; and begins to walk away.

Just then a sudden piercing pain hits Oracle; causing her to fall to the ground. "The others! They're being destroyed!" She screams as she feels their essences being killed. "GOOD NEWS I TAKE IT…" Unicron states. "Shut up!" She screams as she rises in the air again.

"I'm not through with you yet…I've trapped you here and I intend to see that you don't escape!" She screams as she begins to float away. "WE SHALL SEE VOK…WE SHALL SEE!" Unicron retorts; his voice echoing through the canyon.

Meanwhile…with the Maximals…

The Maximals surround Wing Convoy; but just as they are about to shoot lights and sirens begin to flash all around them. "What in the slag…?" Rattrap shouts as they all stare around in shock.

"_Maximus program online!_" The ship's computer states, "_Intruders have infiltrated base. Acquiring targets!_" Holographic images of Rhinox, Waspinator, Rattrap, Cheetor, Silverbolt, and Blackarachnia generate in the central unit and gun emplacements drop out of the ceiling.

"Oh no…" Blackarachnia starts. "It's the ship's version of Sentinel; and it thinks we're intruders!" Rhinox states.

"Excellent work Snarl and Warpath!" Wing Convoy states as he rises to his feet. The other Maximals turn around to see Warpath and Snarl walk into the room; their heads hung in shame.

"Why you no good stinkin' hunk of…" Rattrap starts as he addresses Wing; but gets interrupted by several blasts from the ceiling guns. Pretty soon the guns find their targets and start blasting the Maximals.

"We've got to do something!" Cheetor cries out. "Argh!" Rhinox growls as he whips out his chain guns of doom and starts blasting at the guns. The others follow suit and start blasting at the gun emplacements on the ceiling.

"_Persistence will not be tolerated…upgrading program!_" Maximus states as more guns drop out of the ceiling and continue blasting the Maximals.

The Maximals cry out as they get pummeled by laser fire; much to Wing Convoy's delight.

But suddenly; the fire stops and the guns retract into the ceiling. "What!" Wing states in shock. "Shouldn't we give them a chance to leave in peace?" Snarl states; while Warpath sits at one of the control stations.

Wing growls in contempt, "They are traitors and do not deserve such treatment!" "I'm with him…" Warpath states, "…Let them go in peace!" "Ah…so you've decided to turn traitor on me as well…?" Wing asks with great suspicion. Warpath looks at the other Maximals in regret; "No…I just think that they shouldn't be treated this way…after all; they are Maximals."

Wing Convoy growls and clenches his fists in anger; and stares at Warpath for a good long moment. "Fine!" he presses a button and the door opens, "You have one chance to leave…but if you do so much as look at my cross-eyed as you leave; I will not hesitate to reactivate Maximus and _obliterate every last one of you_!"

The Maximals look at each other in sadness; but reluctantly lower their weapons and slowly make their way out of the ship.

"And don't ever come back here!" Wing Convoy adds as he slams the door behind them as they leave. "Hmm…Waspinator not like stupid Convoy!" He shakes his fists at him. "For once; you get no argument from me!" Rattrap concurs with a thumbs-up; which Waspinator returns.

"As for you…" Wing Convoy begins as he turns around to face his crew, "…I demand an explanation…NOW!" "They were Maximals, sir! They didn't deserve to be treated like that!" Warpath states.

"You listen to me…and carefully…" Wing states as he tries to control his aggression, "…When I give an order; I expect it to be carried out perfectly and flawlessly. Any less is tretchery and shall not be tolerated!" "But sir; you had no right…" Warpath begins.

Wing Convoy shoves him back down into his chair, "NO RIGHT! I HAD NO RIGHT! Rattrap punched me in the face; and they fired upon me! I had _every right!_" "But sir…" "DO YOU WANT TO QUESTION MY ORDERS AGAIN!" Wing Convoy screams.

Warpath sighs and looks down, "No…" "That's what I thought…" Wing states as he looks around at the damaged interior of the ship, "…Now begin repairs; those traitors made a mess out of my ship!"

Outside of the ship the Maximals stand around; deciding what to do next when they hear something behind them. They all whip around to see someone tower over them.

"Who in the slag are you?" Cheetor asks. "My name…" the bot grins evilly, "…is MegaZarak!" "Holy swiss cheese; we're in fer it now!" Rattrap gulps in fear.

Back with Nemesis…

"At last!" she states as she transforms into robot mode. She looks around to see a vast body of water in front of her. "I just hope that my message makes it…" She sets up a small device and presses a button; shooting a wave signal that travels in all directions and spreads out across the sky.

Back inside the Ark…

"Hmm…" Gigatron states as he senses something. He taps his head on the side twice which activates a sound from his systems. "Excellent!" he shakes his head in confirmation. "Wait…" he mutters quietly to himself, "…Who in the slag is Waspinator?"

"Megatron…NOOO!" Optimus cries out as he watches helplessly as Megatron positions the device in front of Optimus's chest. Optimus desperately tries to pull out the lance stuck in his back; but his reach is just a little too short.

" 'And alas; as the tempest dwelled; and the hero watched on with helpless eyes; the mighty Dragon again tempted fate and prepared to unleash the fury of time upon the universe!' " Megatron cries out in triumph as he activates the device and begins to forcibly remove Optimus Prime's spark from his body.

"Hehehe…a-hahahahaha!" Megatron screams with evil laughter as he watches Optimus's spark slowly inch through the frame of his body; and float towards the open hole in the device.

**Author's Notes:**

Will Megatron succeed in destroying Optimus Prime's spark? Will Optimus Primal be able to stop him? And what will Tarantulas do once he gets back to the Antagony having defeated the Vok agents? What of the Maximals…how will they go on without a base and without any allies? And what of MegaZarak…what will he do next?

Find out in the shocking season finale of Myth Wars next chapter!


	13. Episode 65: Other Variables, Pt 2

**'Myth Wars': Episode 65: "Other Variables: Part 2: Goodbye Old Friends":**

"Megatron…Noooo!" Primal screams as he lies mere feet from Megatron as he hovers in front of Optimus Prime.

"Oh yes Primal! I'm tired of you always interfering with my plans…this will be the last time!" Megatron cries out as he redirects his attention to removing Optimus Prime's spark.

Optimus closes his eyes; trying to regain his composure, "…As long as my spark still burns inside my body…" He groans a little in pain as he reaches those few extra inches and rips the lance out of his back, "…You will never win!"

Megatron looks up for an instant; just in time to see the lance move almost in slow motion towards him like a heat seeking missile; plowing into him and ricocheting off of his body. The massive impact causes him to release the trigger on the device; releasing Prime's spark and sending it zooming back into Optimus's body.

Megatron falls to the ground; the device knocked out of his hand. Primal watches as the device skids across the ground and lands near Ratchet's body.

Reacting quickly, Optimus stands up; bearing the pain of the wound in his back; and races towards the device. Megatron looks up to Optimus running towards him and the device; "Oh no; you don't!" Megatron screams as he does a leg-sweep and knocks Primal to the ground.

Megatron quickly rises to his feet and raises a fist to punch Primal in the face; but Primal is the quickest to react as he gives Megatron a sharp uppercut; sending him reeling back into the Ark's main control panel.

Optimus runs over and grabs the device, "This will never happen again Megatron; NEVER!" Optimus states as he attempts to snap the device in half; but someone delivers a kick to his back; knocking him off balance and causing him to fumble the device.

"Excellent work Tidal Wave!" Megatron states as he rises to his feet again. He snaps his jaw back into place fully; and picks up the device.

"Hmm…" Megatron stops and thinks for a second. "What is it boss?" Tidal Wave asks. "I have a better idea now…" Megatron begins, "…Forget the Ark. It will be here for a long time to come…there is a more _effective_ target I can utilize!" Megatron transforms into dragon mode, "Gigatron! Get up!" Megatron states as he begins to make his way towards the exit, "Predacons retreat!"

"And just where…do you think…you're going?" Primal stutters; rising to his feet despite the intense pain. Megatron turns his neck to look at Primal for a brief instant, "You think you're in pain now Primal…Oh you just wait till you see what I have in store for you! Your problems are only beginning!"

Primal stares out as Megatron and the other Predacons evacuate the Ark; racing out the open door. "Teletran-1; activate!" Primal states as he turns to the ships onboard computer and shoots beams of coding out of his optics. Outside the Ark, Megatron and the other Predacons barely escape the Ark's shields as they activate. "Huh…that's not going to help you Primal!" Megatron screams.

"Predacons; destroy the Axalon!" Megatron commands as they all transform into robot mode and open fire upon the support beams of the Axalon's bridge. Primal emerges just in time to see the Axalon's beams break; collapsing the bridge into the lava below.

"NOOO!" Primal screams as he extends his chest cannons and begins to fire upon Megatron as he and the other Predacons race into their ship. Optimus runs towards the ship; but Megatron turns the ship to face Primal; opening fire upon him as he runs towards the ship.

"Let's see you stop me now Primal!" Megatron calls out as he activates the ships engines; taking off as Primal lay wounded against the wall of the cave, knocked offline.

Back with the Maximals…

"You're a Predacon!" Cheetor states in disbelief as he stares at MegaZarak. "You're very observant; but that's not going to save you from my wrath!" MegaZarak sneers as he grabs a pair of tail swords.

"Maximals...Take him out!" Rattrap states; taking command. They all draw their weapons and open fire upon MegaZarak; causing him to back away slowly from the massive firepower and take cover behind a giant boulder.

"Great…now how am I supposed to defeat six Maximals!" MegaZarak asks himself, shielded behind the rock. "Perhaps you need some help…" a voice states from nearby. He looks around to see Nemesis come into view from a short distance away, "Splendid…just the kind of help I needed!"

As soon as Nemesis makes her way to MegaZarak's side; they emerge from behind the rock and begin to charge upon the Maximals; blocking their fire as they run towards them. "Where in the spotted heck did she come from?" Cheetor calls out as he sees Nemesis coming towards them. "Who cares?" Rattrap comments sarcastically as he continues to fire upon the advancing Predacons.

A few feet away Blackarachnia and Silverbolt fire upon the two Predacons when Blackarachnia senses something. "What is it my beloved?" Silverbolt asks; suddenly concerned. "Someone else is here…" she begins as she sees a silhouette rise above a hill; and as the figure steps in front of the Sun; his features are revealed. "By Primus no! It's Tarantulas!"

"He…looks different…" Blackarachnia states in confusion. "Oh; I've had some interesting times since we last met; she-spider…" Tarantulas begins as he descends down the hill, "…Too bad you won't survive long enough to hear about them!"

Back with Megatron…

"_Coordinates locked in…objective within range in 10 clicks!_" The ship's onboard computer states as Megatron steers it across the sky like a bird of prey tracking its prey. "Excellent; and now it's only a matter of time…" Megatron states as he rubs his hands together with anticipation.

Just then the ship begins to rock violently, causing the three Predacons to be thrown around the cockpit. "What in the inferno!" Megatron states as he rises to his feet. "You're not going to believe this…" Gigatron begins as he looks at the ship's computer, "…Primal's firing upon us!"

"So…you still haven't learned your lesson yet Primal…" Megatron states with a slight smile, "…We'll just have to give you some _homework_!" He laughs to himself as he grabs the ship's controls and turns the ship around to face Optimus.

Optimus, hovering in front in Air Guardian Mode, continues to fire upon the ship with all of his firepower. "Give it up Megatron…you're not going to win!" Optimus calls out. "You're becoming quite a pestilence Primal..." Megatron states with an angry sneer, "…I believe it's time to call in the exterminator!"

Megatron charges up the ship's cannons to full power and unleashes two massive balls of laser fire that plow into Primal with such force they blast his jet pack clear off of his body and rip apart his body; sending him into a downward spiral with a thick black trail of smoke emitting from him as he falls.

"And alas; I bid you farewell one final time Primal…" Megatron begins, "…You can not stop the storm that is coming; now you will suffer!"

Meanwhile…

"Tarantulas! Didn't you die!" Silverbolt states; standing in front of Blackarachnia to protect her. "Oh you know about us evil types…" Tarantulas snickers, "…We never die!"

His fist begins to glow as he uses his powers to levitate Silverbolt and throw him across the area; smashing him into the ground some distance away. "What!" Blackarachnia states in shock at what just happened, "When did you learn that trick?" "You haven't seen anything yet traitor!" Tarantulas screams.

He uses his powers to start to choke Blackarachnia from a few feet away. She cries out in pain as she struggles to break free from his grip; but his powers are too much for her to break off. Tarantulas throws his head back with tremendous laughter as he uses his powers to throw her back into the Providus's shields.

Inside the ship; Snarl, Warpath and Wing Convoy watch the battle happening outside through the portal windows in front of the ship. "We've got to help them!" Warpath cries out as he watches Blackarachnia ricochet off of the shields and lie on the ground unconscious.

"No." Wing Convoy simply states. "What!" Snarl cries out in shock. Warpath looks at Wing, "We have to…" "Do nothing!" Wing finishes, "…Those Maximals out there are not Maximals; they are traitors. They deserve to die traitor's deaths!"

Elsewhere in the battlefield, Rattrap and Cheetor watch as Rhinox uses his chain guns to blast apart MegaZarak with all of his strength. "Alright! Way to go Big Green!" Cheetor waves his weapon in the air triumphantly. "I'd be more worried about your own welfare if I were you!" a voice calls out; and they turn to see Nemesis poised a matter of yards away from them; ready to attack.

Nemesis begins charging towards Cheetor, Rattrap and Waspinator; running at full speed. "Time to rejoin the Matrix Maximals!" Nemesis cries out as she whips out her swords and expertly throws them into both Cheetor and Rattrap; knocking both of them flat onto their backs with her swords protruding from the bodies.

"Birdy-bot be nice to Wazpinator…" Waspinator pleads as he backs himself into a corner amongst a few boulders. Nemesis grabs the sword sticking out of Rattrap and rips it out, "And why should I do that!" she states as she positions the tip of the sword under Waspinator's chin. "Because…because…" Waspinator begins; but the words just won't come out.

Waspinator looks up at her with sad eyes; and suddenly Nemesis's expression grows softer. "What are you trying to say bug-eyes?" she asks politely; slowly lowering the sword from his neck. "Wazpinator…Wazpinator…" he stutters as he tries to stammer out the words. She looks at him adoringly; and he stares back at her in shock; and smiles happily.

Suddenly a giant gust of wind blows across the battlefield; clogging the air with a thick layer of dust and dirt. The force of the gust blows Nemesis across the battlefield away from Waspinator. "What in the slag is going on here!" Nemesis states as she tries to peer through the thick cloud of dust.

Slowly the air begins to clear; and three shadowy figures emerge through the dust. "By the skidplate of Primus himself!" Wing Convoy states inside the ship as he sees the figures come into view, "Gigatron and his forces did survive!"

"Ah yes…it's so good to be back!" Megatron stretches his arms as he looks out across the battlefield. "M-M-Megatron!" Waspinator stutters out. "Waspinator? What are you doing here?" Megatron comments in surprise.

Just then he looks at Waspinator's head and notices a Maximal symbol upon it. "Oh…so you've decided to become a Maximal?" Megatron sneers in anger. "No…Wazpinator not realize that Megatron survive! Wazpinator only join Maximals because…" "SILENCE!" Megatron screams.

"Well…it seems we have a bit of a dilemma here Waspinator…" Megatron states as he walks towards Waspinator slowly; his shadow menacingly engulfing him. "What's that M-Megatron?" Waspinator cowers in fear. "I've been far too lenient on traitors in the past Waspinator…" he holds up the devices and charges it up, "…It's time to prove your loyalty to the Predacons!"

"Megatron…p-p-please…" Waspinator pleads as he shakes in terror cornered by the boulders, "…Wazpinator is sorry…don't harm Wazpinator!" "Oh; I'm not going to _harm_ you Waspinator; noooo…" Megatron states as he looks down at Waspinator psychotically, "…I'm going to extinguish your spark!"

"M-Megatron…please…don't!" Waspinator pleads with Megatron; the sheer terror in his optics proving his sincerity. "Well then; what's it going to be Waspinator…" Megatron states as he holds up the Spark Destroyer, "…Are you going to rejoin the Predacons and fight alongside me; or are you going to stay with the Maximals and be one of them?"

Waspinator, shaking in terrible fear, looks around. Just then he sees Nemesis; lying a few feet away from him. She struggles to rise; but she can't find the strength. But her optics and Waspinator's meet; and he stops shaking. He smiles and sighs deeply; and turns to face Megatron again, "Megatron, I am a Maximal now!"

Megatron is taken back by this; "What!" He looks at Waspinator in puzzlement, "So, you can speak in the first person now…?" "I can do anything I want to…" Waspinator begins, a tear forming in his optic. He points to Nemesis, "…She taught me that."

"ARRGGHH!" Megatron screams, "I gave you a chance; but you blew it! Now it's time to die Waspinator! FAREWELL!" Megatron positions the Spark Destroyer in front of Waspinator's body; and within a few seconds he forcibly rips Waspinator's spark from his body; causing Waspinator's knees to buckle; and he falls to the ground.

"NOOOOO!" Nemesis screams as she watches Waspinator collapse. Megatron laughs hysterically and transforms back into dragon mode and heads off towards other parts of the battlefield. She jumps to her feet and runs towards Waspinator.

"N-N-Nemesis…I'm dying…" Waspinator begins as he clutches his chest in pain. "You dummy…you shouldn't have stood up to Megatron like that!" she states; holding him up as she kneels down. "Maybe…but it was the right thing to do…" he states. Suddenly he begins to cough up mech fluid; and his systems begin to shut down. "Why! Why did you do it!" Nemesis begs an answer out of him as she holds him close. His voice begins to grow weak; and she leans in close to her him whisper, "Because…Wazpinator loves you!"

She looks at him in shock. "Never forget Wazpinator…promise me!" Waspinator asks as he reaches to touch her face. She grabs his hand and holds it delicately, "Nemesis never forget Wazpinator…" she lifts her veil for the first time, and they kiss.

The Spark Destroyer device makes a clicking noise, "Well it's about time!" Megatron calls out. But back with Nemesis; as she releases her lips from his; his optics fade out to black and his hand loses its grip of hers. She watches in sadness as his head falls back; and Waspinator dies. "Nemesis will never forget you…" she states through her tears as she holds his dead body close to hers; unwilling to let go.

Elsewhere in the battlefield…

"Hehe! How pathetic!" Tarantulas screams as he approaches Blackarachnia who lays unconscious on the ground. "You!" A voice calls out from behind him; making him turn around and stare up in shock at the bot behind him.

"Megatron!" Tarantulas cries out. "So, Unicron's spawn did manage to survive…?" Megatron questions. "That's a matter of opinion!" Tarantulas retorts.

"No one does that to my beloved!" Silverbolt cries out as he rises to his feet and fires his wingtip missiles at Tarantulas; catching him totally off-guard and smashing into him.

"Ah yes…look at what we have here…" Megatron states as he grabs Silverbolt in his dragon mouth and begins to crush him. He raises the Spark Destroyer in front of his face, "…Another victim!"

"I shall rip your spark from your still twitching corpse…do you have any last words?" Megatron asks. "You will do no such thing; evil villain!" Silverbolt proclaims heroically, "Your reign of villainy shall end here!" Silverbolt raises his wingtips and fires a shot directly into Megatron's face; causing him to stumble a little.

"This shall avail you not; nooooo!" Megatron sneers as he continues to crush Silverbolt with his dragon mouth. Silverbolt cries out in pain and struggles to break free; but Megatron stops him with a single swift movement of his hand as he positions the device over Silverbolt's frame.

"Argh! Nooo!" Silverbolt screams as he wrestles to break free. "Please…help…me!" he cries out; stretching his hand out.

Megatron notices this; and looks out to see what he's reaching for. Megatron's jaw drops in shock as he sees the Maximal ship; but more importantly someone standing inside. "Convoy…!" Megatron growls in contempt.

"We've gotta help them sir!" Snarl states as he and Warpath stare at Wing Convoy, "They're being killed! KILLED!" "Do not presume to order me Snarl!" Wing snaps as he turns to face them for a moment, "I don't care if they are Maximals or not. Each and every one of them tried to kill me; and I have no remorse for any bot who opposes my will…" he turns back to look out the window, "…I'm glad that Megatron is killing them. I hope he kills them all!"

"I wonder why he doesn't attack?" Megatron asks himself. "We…had…a bit…of an…argument." Silverbolt states as he tries to break free from Megatron's grasp. "Ah, so I see…" Megatron states as he watches Wing Convoy nod slightly in approval and walk away from the window, "…Yes, you would have made an excellent Predacon; Wing Convoy!"

"Thank you so very much for the information; Silverbolt…" Megatron states with an evil grin, "…Now say goodbye!" He pulls the trigger and begins to extract Silverbolt's spark just as Blackarachnia wakes up. "SILVERBOLT!" She screams as she sees his spark exit his body and enter the device, "NOOOO!"

She musters up all of her strength and uses her psychic ability to pick up a boulder and hurl it at Megatron. He looks up just in time to see it comes towards him; but it stops in mid-air just before hitting him. "What!" He asks in confusion.

"This game's not for you Witch!" Tarantulas states as he uses his powers to send the boulder flying towards her instead; but she quickly rises to her feet to stop the boulder again in mid-air. "Stupid female…give in!" Tarantulas screams as he stands on the other side of the boulder; both of them trying to move it towards the other.

Her body begins to heat up as she tries to shove the boulder into both Tarantulas and Megatron; but Tarantulas resists and holds the boulder at bay in mid-air. She screams in anger and pain as she pushes the boulder back; her optics lighting on fire from the heat. But; with an evil laugh; Tarantulas takes the upper hand and manages to shove the boulder into her; causing it to explode and send her flying into the distance; breaking into pieces along the way.

"Uh Cheetor…" Rattrap begins as he looks around in terror. "Not now!" Cheetor states as he fires upon Gigatron and Tidal Wave as they attack him and Rattrap. "Cheetor! We've got a bigger problem!" Rattrap yells. "What now?" Cheetor looks at Rattrap; and then up in shock as he sees Megatron tower over them.

"So, will you be the next to sample my power?" Megatron states as he grabs Rattrap and positions the Spark Destroyer device over his chest. "Oh no you don't!" Cheetor states as he turns to fire upon Megatron; but is blind-sided by missile fire from Gigatron and Tidal Wave. Rattrap squirms and tries to break free, "Kiss my skidplate; ya stinkin' piece of slag!" "Insults will get you no where; vermin…" Megatron states, crushing Rattrap in his dragon mouth. "Oh yeah…you just wait until I get my blaster out!" Rattrap struggles to move; but Megatron's grip is too tight.

"Let him go…NOW!" a voice cries out; and Megatron turns to see Rhinox's fist smash him square in the face; knocking him flat on his back. "Woo-hoo! Big buddy! Am I glad to see you!" Rattrap shouts in happiness as he lies on the ground nearby; injured from Megatron's attack.

"Hmm…how good it is to see you again Rhinox…" Megatron smirks, "…Perhaps you want to be the next to try out my Spark Destroyer?" "Not a chance!" Rhinox states as he whips out his guns and opens fire upon Megatron.

He stumbles back from the blasts; incurring severe damage from each hit. "You…can not stop me!" Megatron screams as he launches a fireball from his mouth; and it engulfs Rhinox.

Elsewhere, Nemesis; still heartbroken; carries the limp corpse of Waspinator in her arms. "Uh…boss?" Tidal Wave states as he looks behind him. "What is it now Tidal Wave?" Gigatron asks as he shoots down Cheetor. "What is Nemesis doing?" He asks. "Huh…?" Gigatron states in confusion, "My word! She's stealing the Darklight!"

They begin to run as fast as they can towards the ship just as Nemesis makes her way up the steps and into the ship. Just as she begins to raise the staircase they jump and hop aboard. "Gigatron? Tidal Wave? Did you get my message?" Nemesis asks. "Yes; I did…" Gigatron begins, "…I'm glad you're end of the mission was a success. But what was all that mumbo-jumbo about Waspinator?" "It was all true…" she states, looking upon his dead body as they take off in the ship.

"Now where are those fools going?" Megatron states as he watches the ship take off and leave. Rhinox stomps his foot into Megatron and proceeds to pick him up and hurl him into a nearby rock. "Argh…you will pay for this Rhinox…with your very spark!" Megatron growls as he rises to his feet and tries to grab his Spark Destroyer; but he can't find it.

"What's the matter Megatron; lost your new toy?" Rhinox comments as he picks Megatron up and grinds him into the shields of the Providus. Megatron's body begins to arc with bolts of electricity as he growls in pain while Rhinox continues to shove him into the shield's with all of his strength.

Inside the ship Wing Convoy; Snarl and Warpath are being thrown about as the shields endure the force of Megatron's body being ground into them. "_Shield power failing; shields will deactivate in 2.9 millicycles_!" Maximus states. "Oh perfect…just when I thought Megatron was winning…" Wing Convoy states as he rushes to the controls, "…Perhaps he needs some help!"

Just then Rhinox gets shot by several blasts from the Providus's guns; and he releases Megatron. Megatron slowly rises to his feet; parts of his face and body broken off. His body twitches with exposed wires and systems, "That was…your last…stand…Rhinox!"

He picks up a broken piece of metal and begins to beat Rhinox with it; holding nothing back. Rhinox's jaw gets violently torn off of his body as he tries to block Megatron's attacks unsuccessfully.

Soon, Rhinox is almost totally destroyed and he collapses from exhaustion. Megatron looks around and locates his device again. "Now Rhinox…DIE!"

Elsewhere, MegaZarak rises to his feet and sees Tarantulas watching Megatron battle Rhinox. "I have a special treat for you Megatron…" Tarantulas states as he produces his blaster weapon and fires a small projectile into Megatron's back. It lodges into one of Megatron's wings and gets absorbed into his body, and Tarantulas laughs when he senses something behind him. "You!" They both cry out at the same time as MegaZarak stands a few feet away from him. Tarantulas quickly transforms into spider mode and runs away as MegaZarak runs after him; shaking his fist in anger the whole way.

Rhinox lies on the ground; his body racked with pain as he tries to stand up to fight Megatron; but he falls back down from exhaustion. "You fought well Rhinox…too bad you have to die now!" Megatron states as he aims the device at Rhinox's chest and begins to extract his spark. Rhinox tries to resist; but he's too weak.

But just as Rhinox's spark enters the device; two laser blasts broadside Megatron; sending him flying into the ground. "What!" He cries out as he sees the battle damaged Optimus stand a few yards away. "But how!" Megatron cries out. "This ends now Megatron!" Primal shouts as he opens fire upon Megatron. Soon the other Maximals join in; and Megatron growls in contempt.

"This is never over Primal…" Megatron begins as he transforms into his dragon mode, "…For now you have the death of several of your Maximals to deal with. Now you have incurred the dragon's wrath!"

Optimus and the others continue to fire upon Megatron; even after he's out of range. Finally Primal stops after he feels someone tap on his leg. "What!" Primal shouts in anger. "Look…" Rattrap states in sorrow as he points to the body of Silverbolt.

"Oh no…" Primal begins as he looks at Silverbolt's dead chassis. Just then he hears a noise. "RHINOX!" Primal shouts in shock and horror as he sees the badly damaged body of Rhinox.

"Megatron will pay for this!" Primal growls. "No…" Rhinox states as he tries to reach for Primal's leg; stopping him from leaving. "…Please…stay here…Optimus…I…don't have…much time…" Rhinox sputters out as his jaw hangs on by only a few wires. "Rhinox…I'm sorry…" Primal states as he holds him up. "…Don't be….sorry…you…did…all…you…could…" Rhinox begins, "…You did…your…best…" "Rhinox! Don't die on me!" Primal screams. "…It's too…late Optimus…" Rhinox blinks one final time; the sadness in his voice growing as his voice begins to fade, "…Goodbye…Optimus…goodbye…old friend…"

Rhinox's head falls back as his optics fade to black. "Is he?" Cheetor asks as he rushes over Rhinox's side. "Yup…" Rattrap begins as he holds up Rhinox's limp arm, "…He's dead. Gone…." Rattrap pounds his fists into the ground, "HE'S DEAD!"

"No…no…this can't be…" Primal states; the confusion and overwhelming feelings building up inside of him. He arches his head back and throws his arms into the air; and in one loud feral scream of frustration lets it all out, "**MEEEEEEGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNN!**"

To be continued….?


	14. Episode 66: Premonitions from Past, Pt 1

**'Myth Wars': Episode 66: "Premonitions from the Past: Part 1: Death is only the beginning…":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

"NOOOO!" Optimus screams as he slams his fists into the ground; totally distraught over the death of Rhinox.

"How are…the others?" Optimus asks with a shaky voice; trying to get a hold of himself. "They didn't make it either Bigbot…" Cheetor comments quietly as he stands above Silverbolt's dead body.

"Silverbolt!" Optimus cries out in shock. "I'm not sure if she made it or not Optimus…" Rattrap begins as he holds up the broken remnants of Blackarachnia's shattered body, "…But it don't look good."

"No, not you too!" Optimus clenches his fists in anger; trying to maintain control. "Oh Optimus! What're we gonna do!" Rattrap cries out.

Optimus squints with vengeance and slams his fists together, "Megatron _will_ pay!"

"Cheetor; you'll be in charge until I return!" Optimus commands in a booming voice as he transforms into his jet mode and takes off after Megatron.

"Well…what do we do now?" Rattrap asks. Cheetor rubs his chin lightly, "…We need to get inside the Providus."

"What! Has this new promotion gone straight to yer head?" Rattrap yells, "…Wing Convoy's in der; and he ain't just gonna let us back in!"

"I know…" Cheetor smirks lightly, "…But he's got the equipment we need to get our pals back!" "Eh?" Rattrap comments; noticing the smirk; and then nods silently a moment later.

Meanwhile, inside the Providus…

"YES!" Wing screams in triumph, "The traitor's have finally paid the price for their crimes against me; or better yet; their crimes against Cybertron!"

"Oh…" Warpath rubs his head in pain as he slowly rises to his feet, "…Anyone catch the number of the Predacon freightliner that just ran into me?"

He looks down to see Snarl still lying on the ground; knocked unconscious.

"Well you didn't miss too much Warpath." Wing Convoy begins, "The Maximals were attacked by Megatron…he killed most of them regrettably…"

"WHAT!" Warpath cries out. "You mean Megatron killed all of them? And you let him?" "No…you don't understand Warpath…" Wing Convoy begins, "…Sure; I was originally against helping them. I was upset with them for attacking me; but once I seen Megatron's true plan; I knew that I had to act. I have a duty as a member of the High Council to protect all Maximals and uphold our ideals; no matter the cost."

"So what did you do?" Warpath asks, a little suspicious. "I tried to use our cannons to blast Megatron; but…" he looks away in shame, "…but I missed."

Warpath stares at him in blank shock. "You missed!" he asks. "Yes…and regrettably Megatron killed almost all of the Maximals…"

Warpath hangs his head in shame; unsure of what to say next. Finally he sighs loudly; making his feelings known without disrespecting Wing. "You sure aren't making a good role model for me sir…" he states solemnly and exits the room.

"Huh…" Wing quietly mutters to himself, "…No matter. All that matters is that the traitors are finally dead; and now no one can stand in my way!"

Elsewhere…

"Perfect! Now Megatron's going to think that we abandoned him!" Gigatron yells as they speed away in the Darklight.

"Ah will you shut up!" Nemesis screams, "…That's the fifth time you've said that! We get it!" "I'm still your leader and commanding officer Nemesis; don't you forget that!" Gigatron retorts.

Tidal Wave sits in the front; transformed into his Kraken mode. "Boss…" he begins, "…What are we going to do now?" "Glad you asked…" Gigatron states as he makes his way towards the front of the ship.

"Beast mode!" Gigatron calls out as he transforms into a hydra. "You see…" one of his heads begins, "…Megatron told me that…" another head says, "…there were more stasis pods inside the downed Autobot shuttle…" the next head states, "…so we are going to try to find that shuttle…" the next head states, "…and turn those protoforms into Predacons!" another head finishes.

Nemesis watches from the back of the shuttle as the two Predacons laugh together. She turns to a computer in the ship and pulls up designs for various Decepticons and Predacons with new alt modes.

As she scrolls through the designs she stops on Shockwave; made into a new Cyclops alt mode. "Why would Gigatron want to make all of the new Predacons into mythological creatures? And why would Megatron go along with his plan?" she asks herself quietly.

She looks away from the computer; and stares down at the beaten and lifeless body of Waspinator lying on the floor. "Whatever the reason…" she begins as she whips out her swords, "…I'll make sure that they don't succeed; and they will pay for what they did to you!"

Meanwhile...

Tarantulas runs as fast as he can in spider mode when he senses something. He suddenly steps to the side as MegaZarak plunges his sword right into the ground right where Tarantulas was.

"Hehe…you're gonna to have to be faster than that!" Tarantulas mocks. "You may have changed since we last met Tarantulas," MegaZarak begins as he rips his sword out of the ground, "But you're still no match for a Decepticon like me!"

"Excellent…just what I needed…" Tarantulas comments quietly, "…A true test of my power!"

"Tarantulas…TERRORIZE!" he calls out as he transforms into robot mode and whips out his lances. "Finally…you stand fight me coward!" MegaZarak sneers as he assumes a battle stance.

"What did you just call me?" Tarantulas asks, clenching his fists in anger. "You heard me! All you've done is run and hide from me ever since the Antagony crashed!" MegaZarak yells. Tarantulas's fists begin to glow an angry red, "No one calls me that!"

Tarantulas uses his powers to levitate MegaZarak off of the ground; and slams him into the ground head first. Tarantulas laughs as he takes his daggers and throws them into MegaZarak. They dig in; and he roars in pain. Tarantulas finishes by using his powers to rip his daggers out of MegaZarak and MegaZarak out of the ground and launches him far off into the distance.

"Fool…" Tarantulas begins as he picks up his daggers off of the ground. Just then he hears the sound of jet engines and sees Optimus Primal zoom past him high above.

"Hmm…" Tarantulas thinks as he rubs his chin. He transforms into spider mode and quickly rushes off; trailing Optimus on the ground.

Back with Optimus Primal…

"_Target within 10 clicks!_" his onboard computer informs him as he sees Megatron just off in the distance; flying away slowly in dragon mode from damage and the weight of the Spark Destroyer. "Not soon enough!" Primal cries out; firing his foot thrusters to maximum and taking off in a stream of fire.

Far ahead Megatron hears something; similar to a loud jet engine far off in the distance growing closer. He bends his neck and looks back to see a pair of missiles close in on him and slam into him with awesome force.

"Arrrggghhh!" he cries out as he tumbles through the air; his right wing severely damaged from the missiles. "You're gonna pay Megatron!" Optimus transforms and shakes his fist at Megatron as he hovers high above.

"Ha! You can not destroy _me_ Primal!" Megatron yells as he launches a fireball from his mouth that engulfs Optimus and sends him into a downward spiral.

They both smash into the ground with tremendous and terrifying thuds only seconds apart; filling the canyon that they crashed into with a thick layer of dust and debris.

Optimus shakes his head; slowly pushing himself up from the canyon floor. Suddenly, he looks off to his right to see something slowly manifest through the dust; silhouetted from behind by the dim light of the early morning sun.

"So, it all comes down to this Optimus Primal…a one on one battle; the last epic battle of two great warriors; the final stand of good against evil…" Megatron states, emerging through the dust like an indestructible war machine.

He marches towards Optimus, and transforms into robot mode. "There will be no more deaths…never again!" Optimus cries out, pushing himself up and rising to his feet.

"Death is only the beginning! I am Alpha and Omega; I am all that was and ever shall be! I am the master of my destiny; and I shall conquer and rule all!" Megatron declares, staring down Optimus as he crosses the broken and brittle canyon floor; making his way towards Optimus.

"It ends here and now Megatron…it's over!" Optimus screams, extending his chest cannons. "IT IS NEVER OVER!" Megatron retorts, launching a fireball at him.

Optimus side-steps the fireball. "You're mad!" He cries out. "Insanity is a point of view, Optimal Optimus, given by an outsider who does not understand the reality of the situation!" Megatron cleverly retorts.

"Why are you doing this!" Optimus asks, practically pleading with him. "I'm tired of failures! I'm tried of treachery! And I'm especially tired of you interfering with my plans! THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME!" Megatron screams in anger.

"As long as my spark still burns inside my body I will never let you win!" Optimus states defiantly. "Just like how you stopped me from killing Silverbolt and Rhinox?" Megatron smirks as he delivers those fateful words.

Optimus screams with rage and lunges at Megatron; extending his fist out in front of him. But with great speed Megatron jumps back and lands on top of him; grinding his heel into the wound on Optimus's back from Gigatron's lance.

"So…the great Optimus has a breaking point…" Megatron smiles as he stares down at Optimus. "Never again Megatron! You shall harm another life AGAIN!" Optimus screams as he pushes himself off of the ground; throwing Megatron off of him.

"Oh you just watch me Primal…oh yessss!" Megatron grins as he rises again. "MEGATRON!" Optimus screams as he turns to face his nemesis again.

"That's it Primal; get angry. It'll make your death so much more FUN!" Megatron laughs as he watches Optimus stomp towards him. "You want fun Megatron?" Optimus asks sarcastically as he gives Megatron a powerful uppercut; lifting him off of the ground and sending him reeling back.

Megatron smashes into the ground a short distance away; clearly injured from Primal's fist. "That wasn't very Maximal like Optimus…I see you're letting your emotions get the better of you…" Megatron comments as he slowly backs away from the still advancing Optimus.

"You will not win Megatron…I'll never let you kill another bot AGAIN!" Optimus growls as he grinds his fist into his other palm. "Oh really? That's just what I would have expected from a cowardly gorilla like yourself!" Megatron retorts as he painfully rises to his feet.

"ARRRGGGGHHHH!" Optimus screams; trying to maintain control. "Come on Primal say it…say just how much you want to kill me! Become like me; become that which you hate most! SAY IT!" Megatron taunts.

Optimus grabs his head in pain, "Never….I will not…be…like…you!"

"HA! You have no choice Maximal scum! I can feel the anger building inside of you; just waiting for that moment when you will let it all explode in a fury unlike that which has never been seen before!" Megatron urges him on; laughing with insane delight.

"Stop! MEGATRON!" Optimus screams. "No! You will say it! I will be victorious!" Megatron states, marching towards Optimus. "Never!" Optimus shakes with pain; trying to keep control of his emotions.

"Come on Primal! Say it! You want to kill me; with every ounce of your being…after all; it would avenge for the deaths of Rhinox and Silverbolt…" Megatron smiles and laughs a little.

"Leave them out of this!" Optimus screams. "NO! You should have heard them beg and plead for their lives…they begged Primal; but I tore out their sparks and I enjoyed every nano-click of it!" Megatron throws his head back with insane glee and laughs loudly.

"ARRRGGGHHHH! NOOOOOOO!" Optimus cries out; smashing his fists into the ground. "Oh yes! You should have seen the look of sheer terror as I ripped the still pulsating spark from Silverbolt's corpse!" the glow in Megatron's optics grows brighter with every moment of torture he inflicts upon Optimus.

"NOOOOOO! WHY!" Optimus cries out; holding his head in tremendous pain. "Because you need to see that you are wrong. I am true power; and you will kneel before me and worship your true master!" Megatron states, a certain air of triumph in his voice.

"You…you're insane Megatron! You're making yourself out to be a god!" Optimus stares at Megatron in fear.

"I am a god! I am the only god! Unicron has nothing on me! There are worse things in this universe than Unicron…oh yesss!" Megatron smirks with delight and laughs lightly.

"You must be stopped!" Optimus proclaims. "Don't make me laugh Primal…you couldn't possibly stop me…not any more!" Megatron laughs as he mocks the severely damaged and exhausted Optimus.

"I may not be able to stop you; but I'm not going to give up either!" Optimus states sternly, rising to a fully erect stance again. Megatron flaunts his hand at Optimus, making a face at him, "Spare me the lecture Primal! You never had the guts to kill me; you were always too afraid…you disgust me Maximal scum!"

"Alright Megatron; if that's what you want; then so be it!" Optimus breathes deep; letting go of all control.

"Finally! I knew I would triumph! Hehehe-hahahaha!" Megatron raises his arms in triumph.

And with that Optimus extends his chest cannons again and opens fire upon Megatron. Megatron quickly jumps out of the way and races towards Optimus; slamming into him at full force.

Megatron continues running with Optimus and smashes him into the canyon wall; starting a minor cave-in that buries Optimus. "Ha…I thought you'd put up more of a fight than that!"

But as Megatron begins to walk away, he hears a slight rumbling and turns to see Optimus burst out of the massive pile of rocks. "You haven't seen anything yet Megatron!" Optimus cries out as he lifts up a huge boulder and hurls it at Megatron.

Still in shock at Optimus's survival; Megatron watches helplessly as the boulder plows into him; blasting apart upon impact and skidding him across the canyon floor.

"No more chances Megatron…" Optimus yells as he picks Megatron up with both hands and raises him high above his head, "…You're going down this time!" Optimus; with all of his might; flings Megatron across the vast span of the canyon and into the wall on the other side.

"Arrrggghhhh!" Megatron cries out as he collides with the wall; and the canyon begins to collapse in around him as he lies on the ground.

"You can not defeat me Primal!" Megatron roars as he blasts the rocks with his dragon breath; and punches the others into tiny pieces with his other fist. Optimus stares in wonder as Megatron rises yet again.

Just then Megatron suddenly begins to transform into dragon. "What!" he cries out; unable to stop the transformation.

"Excellent…" Tarantulas states; high above them on the canyon rim, "…Just as I had anticipated. My little device has made Megatron automatically transform when he loses control of his emotions…now no one can stop me!" He laughs with happiness and transforms into spider mode and quickly races off.

"Argh! Noooo!" Megatron screams as he stands in his dragon mode; unsure of what's happening. "Looks like you lose this time Megatron!" Optimus points at him; driving home the point.

"Oh no Primal…" Megatron begins, "…Megatron…TERRORIZE!" He screams as he transforms back into robot mode and rushes towards Optimus.

The two race towards each other; and in one epic movement; Optimus arches his arm back and smashes into Megatron's face; breaking his head into pieces as his fist plows through almost in slow motion.

Megatron collapses to the ground; his body flopping to the ground and bouncing lightly as Optimus stumbles and barely stops in mid-run.

He takes a few steps back; and stands above the broken and beaten body of Megatron. "Finally…it's over." He states; and begins to walk away.

"No…" a voice calls out from behind him; and Optimus turns to see Megatron still barely functional lying on the ground staring up at him. His face is nearly gone; but his voice processor manages to spit out a few last words: "Evil is eternal…you are not! Farewell Optimal Optimus!"

And with that Megatron loads a missile into his dragon mouth and fires it at Optimus at nearly point-blank range; the explosion blowing Optimus into a shower of thousands of tiny pieces; leaving only a few tiny pieces lying on the ground.

"Now Optimus…" Megatron begins as he feels his essence wane from his body, "…it _is _over…"

And a light mist of snow begins to fall into the canyon as Megatron goes offline and dies.

**Author's notes:**

Tarantulas has infected Megatron's body with a virus that affects his transformation; this and all of the built up anger from the past events as well as the Beast Wars have led to Optimus and Megatron killing each other in one final climatic battle. What will happen next?

Will Cheetor and Rattrap be able to get inside the Providus? And what is next on the twisted agenda of Wing Convoy? What will Tarantulas do next? Will the Predacons in the Darklight find the downed Autobot shuttle; filled with blank protoforms?

Keep watchin…


	15. Episode 67: Premonitions from Past, Pt 2

**'Myth Wars': Episode 67: "Premonitions from the Past: Part 2: In Darkness and in Light…":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

"So, just how do you expect us to get inside the Providus without ol' _High and Mighty _spotting us?" Rattrap asks with a laugh. "I don't…" Cheetor begins, "...He's going to know we're there."

"You got yer wires crossed there pussycat?" Rattrap yells, "He's not going to just let us use the restoration equipment!" "I know Rattrap; but I'm not after his restoration equipment…I'm after him!" Cheetor smirks.

"Oh now this I've gotta see!" Rattrap comments as he follows Cheetor towards the Providus.

Meanwhile…

"Slag! You mean that this ship's still not working!" Fenrir screams as he punches a nearby wall.

"Give me a break! We've been working on repairs as much as we can!" Six-Shot retorts, "With you getting blown up and our attack on the Maximals we've been delayed!"

"I don't care how long it takes; or what you have to do…but get this Decepticon warbird airborne again!" Fenrir screams in disgust and storms off. Six-Shot makes a rude gesture with his hand behind Fenrir's back as he leaves the room.

"Well, what's the situation?" Myrimidon asks, standing next to the others outside the ship. "We need to get this hunk of ancient tech into the air again," Six-Shot begins, "Fenrir's got a plan that he just told me about; and it's nothing short of Doomsday!"

Elsewhere…

"_Beginning DNA scanning sequence…_" A stasis pod's onboard computer states as a scanning tower extends out of it. But as two gold colored waves fan out from the tower, a giant shadow engulfs the pod.

"Oooh…look at what we have here…" a menacing voice states with a tone of instability, "…Dinner!"

Elsewhere, in a place far away from Earth…

"Where am I?" a voice states; echoing in a vast black expanse of emptiness.

All of a sudden the whole place explodes in a burst of white light, and the form of Optimal Optimus is revealed; shielding his optics from the bright light filling the void.

"**_Welcome back to the Matrix; Optimus Primal…_**" A sexless voice states; it's sound reverberating and echoing; but still loud and powerful.

"The Matrix!" Optimus states in confusion, "But that means…" "**_Yes…you are offline…_**" the voice states, "**_...You're physical form was destroyed by Megatron as you battled him in a canyon on Earth._**"

"Hmm…seems I have a nasty habit of dying…" Optimus mutters sarcastically. The voice seems to ignore Primal's attempt at humor, "**_We have summoned you here for an important mission…_**" "Oh?" Optimus states; suddenly listening intently.

"**_It has long been a mission of ours to restore Cybertron to it's once and former glory. We know that at one time in it's distant past Cybertron was organic; made so by a being known as Alpha Quintesson. He and his brethren inhabited Cybertron long before the first Transformers inhabited the planet. But, as it often happens, peace turns into war as Primus came upon Cybertron. His form utterly destroyed by Unicron; Primus put his essence into the planet of Cybertron; and reformatted it into the technology world it remained for many eons. He created us and the first 13 Transformers; and they exiled the Quintessons to a remote planet far away; their home world of Quintessa._**" The voice explains.

"Who are you, and how do you know all this?" Optimus asks as he floats around inside the void. "**_We are the Oracle; and we know all…past, present, and future._**"

"What is it you want me to do?" Optimus asks. "**_Certain events will happen between now and a global era of peace on Cybertron…we need you to make sure that the balance is found on Cybertron; we need you to act as our vessel and ensure that perfection is found._**"

Optimus nods, "I will do it!" "**_We thank you, Optimus Primal. We knew you wouldn't fail us._**" The Oracle's presence leaves, leaving Optimus floating in the black void he was in before. "So…the Oracle must want me to restore the organic to Cybertron…" Optimus suddenly looks up in shock, "That's it! That's why we were chosen to fight those wars on prehistoric Earth! We needed to bring back the organic in our bodies to help restore Cybertron! It all makes sense now!"

Back on Earth…

"_DNA sequencers malfuncitioning…scanning and replication unable to function properly…_" the pod states as it shakes uncontrollably. "Hmm…" the figure thinks, "…This spark is unique. It shares in my pain. Perhaps I will let it survive."

The figures clenches his fist in front of him, "Yes…fight your way free…your spark is in pain…like mine…" The towering figure states as he reaches out towards the pod.

His fist begins to glow as he sends a beam of light into the pod. "_Reformatting information accepted. Beginning replication process…_" The pod states as the shaking starts to subside, and the pod hatch depressurizes, and a long black leg emerges out of the pod.

"Perfect…how lovely indeed…" the figure laughs as it towers over the new creature now fully out of the pod. "You…I know you…" the new born bot states, still in beast mode. "Your name is Rampage."

"Yes, that's what I'm called now…" he moves his mandibles in happiness, "…And you would be…?" "My name is Dreadnought…" she smiles in her new form of a nightmare horse.

"So, why am I in this odd beast form?" She asks, noticing that her fur is on fire but it's not burning. "I used my powers to reformat you…and your form is from one I had once seen in a dream I had…it only seemed too perfect to use!" Rampage nods approvingly.

"Interesting…" she states. "Indeed." Rampage replies as he watches her rear up on her back legs. "Dreadnought…TERRORIZE!" she screams as she transforms into robot mode.

"Perfect!" Rampage snickers as he examines her in her robot mode. "So, does that mean I owe my life to you?" Dreadnought asks. "You are correct…" Rampage states, "…But you don't have to worry about repaying your debt to me…all I ask is that you join me in my quest to acquire sparks…"

"Acquire sparks?" she asks. "Yes…when the Vok captured what was left of my spark from the remains of the reborn Dinobot when he died in the Nemesis; they used their own wretched essence to complete the missing portion that was destroyed by Depth Charge…and now I need sparks to survive; to remain functional…" Rampage explains.

"Wow…that's quite the story Rampage…" she states with an insane grin, "…But luckily for you I enjoy pain and torture. Eating sparks sounds like fun!"

Back inside the Matrix…

"What is this place!" Megatron screams as he floats around inside an empty vacuum, separated from Optimus. "**_You're inside the Matrix…communing with the Oracle_**." a mystical voice replies.

"Huh…and what possible good could this serve me?" Megatron retorts; a tone of disgust readily apparent. "**_There is something that we wish to ask you_**." the voice starts.

"Yessss….?" Megatron tries to provoke the voice; and succeeds. "**_Why do you concern yourself with appeasing the Tripredacus Council?_**" it asks him.

"What!" Megatron mutters in shock. "**_Why do you try to fulfill their dreams…why not fulfill your own?_**" the voice asks.

Megatron remains silent for a moment; but finally responds, "Because I intend to help the Predacons take back their rightful place as rulers of Cybertron!" "**_That is your dream Reznotron; not theirs_**…"

"What did you call me!" Megatron utters in extreme shock. "**_We are more than aware of your new name of Megatron…but deep down inside you are still Reznotron. You share his ambitions and goals._**"

"I left that monicker back on Cybertron…I am now and forever shall be Megatron!" he growls in contempt.

"**_Very well then Megatron…_**" the Oracle begins, "**_A name is nothing more than something for others to identify you by…that is why a being now in your time has taken on our name. She uses it in much the same way you use the original Megatron's._**" "Is there a point to all this?" Megatron asks, growing a little irritated. "**_There is a point to every action, Megatron. There is something we wish to ask of you; something we need you to do for us_**." "Bah! Megatrons do not take orders; we give them!" Megatron retorts in anger.

"**_Perhaps…but this will be an offer you can not refuse_**…" the Oracle states, causing Megatron to get a look of uncertainty; but at the same time a look of intrigue. "Tell me more…" he states.

Back with Rattrap and Cheetor…

"And that's the plan. Can you help us?" Cheetor asks. "Sure, but are you sure that it will work?" Snarl states, standing next to Warpath outside the ship as they momentarily stop repairs on the ship. "It had better; it's our only chance!" Rattrap comments. "Then count us in!" Warpath nods, and opens a channel to Wing Convoy.

"Sir…this is Warpath. Do you copy?" He asks over the intercom. "This is Wing Convoy. What's the status of the ship's repairs?" he asks. "Everything is going well; but there are a few more parts I need to get. Can you lower the shields and let me and Snarl back in?"

"No problem. But next time don't step outside of the shield boundary…you know that they only let you out and not back in!" Wing comments as he presses a button.

Outside the ship; the shields lower and the automated defenses are lowered and retracted back into the ship. "So far so good." Cheetor comments as they makes their way into the open door on the ship.

"WING! HELP US!" Warpath cries out as they enter the ship. Wing whips around to see Cheetor and Rattrap holding their guns up to Warpath and Snarl's heads; their fingers on the triggers.

"By the skidplate of Primus himself! What's going on here?" Wing yells. "They ambushed us on the way in…" Warpath states; faking terror as Cheetor presses his blaster against Warpath's head.

"We need access to your restoration equipment Convoy…" Rattrap sneers. "Yeah, and if you don't you'll be short two crew members!" Cheetor adds in.

"Oh, so you think that you can just waltz in here and order _me _around?" Wing smirks as he presses a button and activates Maximus. Gun ports suddenly drop out of the ceiling; and Cheetor and Rattrap drop their jaws in shock.

"_Maximus program unable to acquire targets…deactivating…_" the ship announces, and the guns retract back into the ceiling. "WHAT!" Wing screams, looking around in confusion.

"Still feeling lucky Convoy?" Rattrap mocks.

"Arghh!" Wing growls in contempt, "…There must be another way!" "Please Wing…" Snarl pleads, "…Help us."

Wing clenches his fists for a long moment; and finally slams his foot into the ground. "Fine! You win; you stinking pieces of no-good Maximal-wannabe scum!"

Cheetor and Rattrap slowly release Warpath and Snarl; and they quickly run away from them and behind Wing Convoy.

"Warpath and Snarl…" Wing states slowly. "What?" Warpath asks. "…Go get the damaged Maximals," Wing sighs in defeat, "…Bring them inside and begin their restoration."

They nod and make their way out of the ship. "Geesh…I thought it'd be harder than that." Rattrap comments. "Oh, but it is…" Wing smirks, "…For I know that this is all just a silly little game. Your comrades are dead; and restoring their bodies won't help you bring them back!" Wing throws his head back in laughter.

"That's where you come in." Cheetor slyly states; as he and Rattrap target their guns at him. "Huh?" Wing states in confusion, and before he has a chance to react he is tackled by the two Maximals.

"Get off of me!" Wing screams as he wrestles on the ground with them; and manages to pin Rattrap against the floor. But as he begins to punch Rattrap, Cheetor kicks him and sends him flying across the room.

They quickly rush over to him while he's down, and Cheetor picks him up and pins his arms behind his back. "We need your help Convoy…" Rattrap comments as he grabs a small connection cord from his waist and attaches it to Wing, "…and you're going to help us; whether you like it or not!"

Back with Rampage…

"So, who will be our first victim?" Dreadnought asks as she walks alongside Rampage. "We're going to go see an old friend…one who was resurrected along with me by the Vok…" Rampage snickers and laughs cruelly.

Back inside the Matrix…

"Oracle…are you still here?" Optimus calls out. "**_We are..._**" The Oracle responds, "**_…What is it you wish to ask of us?_**" "If I'm here; where's Megatron?" Optimus asks.

"**_He is here as well…but you are in a different section of the Matrix than he is._**" It responds. "I see…" Optimus comments, "…And what of Rhinox and the others? Are they here?" "**_That depends upon your definition of here…_**" the Oracle responds, leaving Optimus stupefied.

Back with Cheetor and Rattrap on Earth…

Wing Convoy howls in pain as Cheetor restrains him. "Ah quit yer whining…" Rattrap comments, "…It's the least you deserve, ya stinkin' hunk of slag!"

"Is it working?" Cheetor asks. "I think so…" Rattrap begins, "…he's got a strong firewall. I'm having a hard time breaking through to interface with him..." "Well, just keep trying. Whether we like it or not, he's our only hope to get Rhinox and Silverbolt back. We don't have a choice…" Cheetor comments.

Inside Wing's mind, Rattrap flies through the twisted maze and network of paths that lead towards Wing's central process unit and command center. Several obstacles and puzzles confront Rattrap; but he easily overcomes them; and as he does a new tunnel opens up which leads to another puzzle.

"Finally!" Rattrap cries out as he finds the end of one of the tunnels and enters a large room inside Wing's mind.

It's decorated in murals of great Cybertronian leaders; and in the center is a large floating, glowing orb of light. "That's it!" Rattrap states as he reaches out for it.

As Rattrap touches the object; Cheetor sees Wing Convoy's chest begin to open as he hears gears grind and move inside. "It's true…" Cheetor comments as he watches a small device float out of Wing's chest, the center glowing with white pure light, "…Wing Convoy does have a Matrix Annex!"

"Nooo…!" Wing screams in pain, "…Get out of my mind!" "Don't you ever get tired of being self-centered?" Cheetor asks sarcastically as he continues to restrain Wing.

"Let's see here…" Rattrap states as he searches inside Wing's Matrix connection, "…I know you guys are here somewhere."

He looks around for several cycles, but suddenly gets an expression of great sadness. "That's impossible…" He hangs his head in shame and sadness, "…They're not here…they really are gone…"

Back inside the Matrix with Megatron…

"Hmm…" Megatron thinks out-loud, "And what exactly are you saying? That the conquest of Cybertron is a dream shared by no one other than myself?"

"**_No…_**" the voice begins, "**_What we are saying is that the Tripredacus Council which you try so hard to appease does not share the level of interest that you possess in the conquest of Cybertron._**"

"Spare me the theatrics and get to the point!" Megatron demands.

"**_Very well…_**" the voice starts, "**_…We need someone who can unite all of Cybertron; someone who can make peace out of an otherwise bleak situation; someone who can unite all into one._**"

"All into one?" Megatron begins, "That sounds a lot like the old Autobot motto, 'Til all are one!'." "**_Indeed you are correct Megatron…it is one and the same._**" The Oracle responds, "**_The group called the Autobots acquired that motto from Primus himself; and he was the one who created us…It is more a prophecy than a motto._**"

"And you want me to carry out an Autobot prophecy?" Megatron asks; a bit insulted. "**_Yes…but you are not doing for the Autobots; you are doing this for you and you alone. Factions will no longer matter once all are one._**" The Oracle explains. "But why me? Why not a Maximal; someone who believes in these prophecies? Someone like Optimus?" "**_Optimus Primal is not capable of handling a situation as complex and delicate as this. We need a being with a pure mental viewpoint; one with power and mechanical precision. We believe that you are the only one capable of fulfilling this task._**"

"**_You see, Megatron, some beings are Maximals, but are truly evil…_**" The Oracle states as it displays the form of Wing Convoy's head; "**_…while others are Predacons, but are truly good…_**" and a form of Dinbot's head is created; "**_…So it's all a matter of perspective. In the end; we are all the same._**" The Oracle states, erasing the two heads.

"That does make sense; but I'm not purely mechanical…" Megatron begins. "**_We know. But you're body has been infected with a virus; one that causes it to transform into beast mode when you lose control of your emotions._**" The Oracle explains.

"Can I remove it?" Megatron asks. "**_No, that is not possible. The virus is tied to your very body structure; and into your body's DNA. As long as you retain a form that requires DNA; like a beast form; you will not be able to control your emotions and risk damaging or destroying the sparks._**" The Oracle states.

"Hmm…so if I get a new body…one that's purely mechanical and not contaminated by either a mongrel beast form or a virus…I'll be cleansed and will be able to accept my destiny and make all into one!" Megatron states. "**_Exactly. You are very wise and powerful, Megatron. While your body is contaminated with the virus; you will not be able to assimilate all the sparks into one._**"

"So, besides a new body…what's in this for me?" Megatron sneers. The voice almost seems to evoke a sense of satisfaction in itself as it responds; "**_Godhood!_**"

Megatron looks up a little; surprised at first; but then a smirk of pure satisfaction crosses his lips at the mere implications of what the Oracle was proposing. "Well…" Megatron begins, "…I've never considered myself a servant of a higher power; but given the circumstances…let the unification begin!"

Back with Rattrap…

"I guess this was all pointless…Rhinox and Silverbolt are really gone…forever…" he begins when he suddenly notices something.

"Wait just a cycle here…is that who I think it is?" His face lightens up as he sees a lone spark float in front of him.

And as he reaches out to touch the spark; a beam of energy shoots out in both directions from Wing's floating Matrix. One beam juts back into Wing; causing him to howl in intense pain and the other shoots out into the room.

"OOOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!" Wing screams as his body being to convulse; causing Cheetor to lose his grip. Wing's body suddenly goes limp as the beam of light retracts back into the Matrix; and he collapses to the floor; unconscious.

Just a few moments later Snarl and Warpath enter the room carrying the bodies of Rhinox and Silverbolt. "What's going on here?" Warpath asks as he sees Rattrap disconnect himself from Wing Convoy.

"Well, would you look at that…" Snarl stares in shock as he sees Wing's Matrix stop glowing,drop out of mid-air and bounce off of the ground.

Everyone stares in disbelief as they see a figure; glowing in white light; stand before them. As the light begins to subside; the features of the bot become more visible.

"Who…are you?" Cheetor asks in confusion. The bot slowly raises his head; and his optics flash on. "That's Dinobot!" Rattrap exclaims with joy.

"Correction vermin…" he states as he opens his chest; revealing a Matrix Annex, "…Now I am Dinobus Prime!"

**Author's Notes:**

Two new bots enter the fold; Dinobus Prime and Dreadnought. How will their appearances influence things to come?

And both Megatron and Optimus's agendas have changed in light of communing with the Oracle. What will happen next for them?

What about the Predacons in the Antagony? What's Fenrir's Doomsday plot? And what other events lie ahead?

Keep watchin…


	16. Episode 68: Premonitions from Past, Pt 3

**'Myth Wars': Episode 68: "Premonitions from the Past: Part 3: "The New Agenda":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

"Eh! Who died and made you Prime?" Rattrap snaps as they all stare at the reborn Dinobot; now in the form of Dinobus Prime.

"Don't make me scrap your useless hide yet, rodent; I just got back!" Dinobus retorts; snarling and drawing his sword.

"HEY!" Warpath screams as he steps in-between the two, "I don't know what kind of feud you two had going on before; but now is not the time for it!"

"Huh!" Dinobus snorts as he knocks Warpath's arm aside, "What gives you the right to command me?" "Just because you're a Prime now doesn't mean you ain't the same Predacon criminal that escaped us back on Cybertron!" Warpath states as he presses a finger into Dinobus's closed chest.

"Hmm…" Dinobus rubs his chin in thought for a moment, "…I remember you now…you're Warpath. And that could only mean…" He looks around and sees the unconscious Wing Convoy lying on the ground some feet away; his Matrix annex not far from his body. "Indeed it's true…" Dinobus begins, "…He is here. Optimus was right!"

"What're ya talkin' about?" Rattrap begins, "You just get back; and yet you knew that Wing Convoy was here. Did that new toy in yer chest allow you to contact Optimus from the dead er somethin'?"

Dinobus turns and growls at Rattrap, causing Rattrap to back off a little and snicker lightly. "No, mouse," Dinobus begins, "Optimus contacted me through the Matrix. I'm not entirely sure how, but somehow I feel as though we are connected now."

"Oooh! Just what we need, a Predacon with a Matrix connection!" Rattrap snips as he waves his hands in the air mockingly. Cheetor gives him a quick jab to the side, "Shut up Rattrap." "Things have changed…" Dinobus laughs a little as he rubs his chin.

"What're you saying Dinobot…I mean Dinobus? Is Optimus alright?" Cheetor asks. "Well…I thought so when he had originally contacted my spark…" Dinobus's expression suddenly turns to sadness, "…But I feel now that he is no longer with us."

Elsewhere…

"So…what is it exactly that you want me to do?" Optimus asks as he floats around inside the Matrix. "**_You need to restore the balance, Optimus. Megatron has a great and disastrous plan; and it's up to you to stop him_.**" The Oracle tells him.

"So, you want me to destroy Megatron then?" Optimus asks. "**_No. Death is not the only way to defeat your enemies; Optimus Primal. Megatron is essential to the grand scheme of things to come…he must be defeated in another way_.**" The Oracle explains. "How? Tell me how I can defeat Megatron!" Optimus demands. "**_Look inside yourself, Optimus Primal. The answer lies within you_…**" The Oracle coolly explains.

Back on Earth…

"Hmm...there's something you never explained to me." Nemesis states as she walks towards the front of the ship.

"And that would be?" One of Gigatron's head asks, turning to face her as the others look on ahead. "You remember when we first came here?" She asks. "Of course…" Gigatron states. "Well…you never told me what the purpose of coming here was. I know that exacting out your vengeance on Megatron was part of it; but what were the other reasons?" She asks him.

"Well…I guess now is as good as any time to enlighten you, my dear Nemesis." Gigatron states as he turns his body around to face her completely.

"You see, while you were in the front of the ship during our landing here on Earth; I and Tidal Wave were trying to track down Megatron. According to the final transmission sent by the Tripredacus operative here; Tarantulas; Megatron had recently acquired a new and extremely powerful beast form of a dragon; which he experienced the power of first-hand. I knew that if we were to pose any kind of a threat to him; we needed powerful forms too…ones of beasts with extraordinary powers…"

"Mythological beasts!" Nemesis shouts in realization. "Exactly. Which is why I gave you that disk containing the DNA sequences that Cryotek had developed for us back on Cybertron before we left. With those beast forms; we could easily combat Megatron; and either capture or destroy him; whichever I preferred at the moment…" Gigatron lightly clears his throat in emphasis.

"That's when I sent you off to see if you could contact any of the local Predacons; to see if you could make allies with them. I'm sure that you remember that…" One of Gigatron's heads states, "I told you to use those DNA sequences to reformat any and all Predacons you came by…it was the only way for us to build up an armada strong enough to defeat Megatron!" "And I did. I input the DNA codes into the Antagony's computer while Waspinator and Fenrir activated the Decepticons onboard the ship. That's how MegaZarak; Myrimidon; Six-Shot and Skar all got their new mythological forms!" Nemesis explains.

"Yes, and thanks to Cryotek's brilliance; that's also how we got our mythological forms!" Another of Gigatron's heads states. "Well…it all makes sense now!" Nemesis states.

"So, when we get to the downed shuttle; can I have one of the pods?" Nemesis asks. "Huh?" Gigatron asks in confusion, "Why would you need a pod?" "I have my reasons…" she states. "Bah! You can't have a pod! We need those protoforms to make new Predacon warriors; not to fulfill your twisted sense of amusement!" Gigatron snaps, turning around to watch out of the front cockpit again.

She glances briefly back at Waspinator's dead body when Gigatron looks away. "I've been little miss nice girl so far…but the time for that's just come to an end!"

Elsewhere…

"So…I am destined to unite all of the sparks of Cybertron; am I?" Megatron states mockingly as he floats around inside the blackness of the Matrix. "**_Your destiny is whatever you make it out to be Megatron…no one has control over it but you_.**" The Oracle replies.

"Ha! Here you are telling me that I must play great Autobot prophecy-fulfiller; and now you say that my destiny is not already planned out! You are nothing more than a hypocrite!" Megatron sneers.

"**_We_ _understand your confusion Megatron; do not lose control of your emotions_.**" The Oracle states. "Yes…perhaps you are right about that. If I lose control of my emotions I'm only allowing the beast to take over." Megatron states.

"**_You must understand this. Although we ask you to perform this task; you are not bound to do it. You have one opportunity per moment to do something; whether or not you choose to do something in that moment is up to you_.**" The Oracle states.

"Hmm…what are you saying…?" Megatron asks inquisitively. "_**Once a moment has passed us; we cannot go back and change that moment. It is gone forever. Even with you going back in time to Earth's past; you still had only one chance to change the future you knew…but essentially you were erasing one future and rewriting another. At any given time; a moment cannot exist in a timeline more than once.**"_ The Oracle explains to him.

"Argh!" Megatron suddenly screams, "If I wanted a lecture I would go see Optimus Primal!" "**_It's a difficult concept to grasp Megatron; we do not expect you to understand it now…you will in due time_.**" The Oracle ignores Megatron's frustrations.

"For some reason I'm beginning to think that the Oracle is trying to stall me…" Megatron thinks to himself, "…I need to get out of here. There is so much planning to do!"

"Oracle of Cybertron; if I am to fulfill your task; I need to leave here. I need to return to Earth; and prepare for the task at hand!" Megatron boldly states. "**_And how do you plan on preparing yourself?_**" The Oracle asks.

"The rest of Primal's Maximals must be eliminated…it's the only way to ensure that I succeed!" Megatron states. "_**Death is not the only way to defeat your enemies; Megatron.** **There are other more efficient ways**_**…**" The Oracle states. "Hmm…interesting notion." Megatron states.

"**_There are 3 Transformers that you have killed recently_…**" The Oracle begins. "Yes. Waspinator, Silverbolt, and Rhinox." Megatron adds in. The Oracle continues to speak "**…_They are not dead._**"

"WHAT!" Megatron screams. "**_Gigatron was incorrect in his assessment of the artifact you call a Spark Destroyer. It is actually a Spark Capture device. It holds the sparks in a stasis field; allowing them to exist outside a living body. The sparks are still inside that unit; back on Earth_.**" The Oracle explains.

"Hmm…it would appear that I need to return to Earth quickly then," Megatron thinks to himself, "If the Maximals get their hands on those sparks before I do…"

"**_Are you ready to be reborn Megatron_?**" The Oracle asks him. "Yes…I am ready!" Megatron smiles evilly as he feels his body inside the Matrix begin to slowly dissipate into nothing…

Back on Earth…

Deep inside the canyon; the dead, broken and nearly destroyed body of Megatron begins to glow as parts and pieces begin to rebuild and reform.

All of a sudden Megatron's optics flash on; and he rises to his feet and stretches out his arms in triumph.

"Yes…oh yesss…" Megatron begins as he leans his head back and screams, "…I LIVE! I LIVE AGAIN!"

At that exact moment…

"ARGHH!" Dinobus cries out as he clutches his chest in pain.

"What's the matter with you?" Snarl asks him. "Something…something is amiss…" Dinobus states as he regains his composure.

"Oh boy…he's lost it." Rattrap comments. "This is serious Rattrap!" Cheetor states as he turns to face Dinobus, "What happened?"

"I felt something…like someone was crushing my spark with their bare hand…" Dinobus states, "I think it was Megatron."

"Megatron?" Warpath states. "Ya mean he's still alive! I thought Optimus was going to take care of him." Rattrap comments. "Apparently; Optimus has failed…" Dinobus states, recalling meeting Optimus inside the Matrix.

"Wait…" Dinobus begins, "…Why would Optimus want to take care of Megatron? That was never Optimus's style…" Dinobus states. "Yeah; but once Megatron killed Waspinator, Rhinox and Silverbolt; Optimus's viewpoint changed." Cheetor explains.

"They weren't inside the Matrix when I was there…" Dinobus begins; suddenly realizing something. "So you're saying that they're not dead?" Cheetor asks; a little confused.

"Huh…they look pretty dead to me." Warpath states; looking at Rhinox's body through a window in the CR chamber. "If they're not dead; and Megatron used that Spark Destroyer on them…" Rattrap begins, "…That can only mean one thing: They're inside the Spark Destroyer unit still!"

"Maximals…transform and move out!" Dinobus states as he transforms into his Tengu mode, "We need to get those sparks back!"

Elsewhere…

"Strange…I can smell the stench of X's spark. I know he's nearby…" Depth Charge states as he walks around near a downed stasis pod.

He looks at the pod; and he pries open the lid to reveal the empty interior. "Great…" he begins, "…Looks like X's claimed another life!"

"Oh I'd say you're half right there old friend!" A voice states; drawing Depth Charge's attention. He looks out to where the voice came from and sees Rampage emerge from around the corner of a large rock formation. Rampage moves his mandibles wildly as he speaks, "You see, I didn't claim this life; it joined me willingly!"

"I don't know how you managed to survive after I drove that spear of raw energon into your spark; creep; but you won't survive this time!" Depth Charge yells as he whips out a double-barreled cannon and begins firing at Rampage.

Rampage quickly jumps out of the path of the laser blasts and hops onto a nearby rock. "Oooh…you're playing hard to get!" Rampage snickers, "I like that!"

He lunges off of the rock and tackles Depth Charge before he has a chance to shoot him. They roll around for a few moments before Rampage manages to pin him against the ground. "Get off me; ya stinkin' hunk of slag!" Depth Charge screams as he punches Rampage across the face; knocking him off.

"Hey you!" A voice calls from near the two combatants. "Huh?" Depth Charge states as he looks around for where the voice came from.

He looks and finally spots a tall female figure standing a few yards away. "Why don't you just make this easy on yourself and give up your spark already!" She states, aiming a gun at Depth Charge's head.

"No…" He begins as he sees Rampage stand up and join her side, "You changed the Maximal protoform into a Predacon!" "Excellent deduction fish boy!" Rampage states as he starts to laugh insanely.

Depth Charge quickly pushes himself up; and Dreadnought fires a shot at him; barely missing by inches. "That's the last spark you're going to twist to your insane pleasures; X!" Depth Charge screams as he uses his back fins to block several blasts from Dreadnought's gun.

"Your words have no meaning to me any more…" Rampage begins as he signals Dreadnought to stop firing. As she lowers her weapon; Rampage's fists begin to glow. "Now, thanks to the Vok restoring my spark, I have all the power I need to destroy you once and for all!"

Depth Charge folds back his fins and sees Rampage's glowing fists. "Oh great…just when I thought things couldn't get any worse…"

Meanwhile; on the Antagony…

"How much longer on these repairs?" Fenrir screams. "Cool your jets already! We're working as fast as we can!" Six-Shot retorts. Skar nods in agreement from a few feet away.

"Blast it all! If I'm to succeed in my mission; I need this ship operational!" Fenrir exclaims. "Planning on leaving with my ship; are we?" A voice states from behind him.

"Uh oh…" Myrimidon gulps, slowly backing away in fear. "I know that voice…" Fenrir begins as he turns around to see a massive figure standing behind him.

"The reign of Fenrir has officially reached it's end!" The bot states as he lifts Fenrir up and tosses him into the ship; ricocheting him off of the hull. "MegaZarak! You're back!" Six-Shot proclaims in excitement.

"Yes…I had a hard time getting here; but at long last I am back!" He states; holding his fist in front of him in triumph.

"Get out of here! You're going to ruin all my plans!" Fenrir screams, rising to his feet. "Fenrir…Flight Mode!" He screams as he transforms into his jet mode and takes off into the air.

"Decepticons…take out that high-pitched glory hog!" MegaZarak commands. The other Predacons quickly grab their weapons and begin to attack Fenrir as he hovers and opens fire upon them.

Back in the canyon…

"Now where in the devil did I leave that Spark Extractor?" Megatron states as he searches amongst the ruins of the canyon.

Suddenly he spots something shining in a pile of rock. "At last…" he begins as he picks up the device; and moves the grabbing claws as he examines the device, "…Now I need only to figure out what to do with you three…"

In the meantime; inside the Matrix…

"**_Are_ _you_ _ready_ _to_ _accept_ _the_ _task that lies before_ _you,_ _Optimus_ _Primal_?**" The Oracle asks him as he floats around. "Yes…I am truly ready." Optimus responds. "**_Then_ _I_ _release_ _you_ _back_…_it's_ _all_ _up_ _to_ _you_, _Optimus_ _Primal_.**" The Oracle states as Optimus's body begins to defragment and disintegrate into nothing, "**_Transform your mind. Transform and transcend…_**"

Back on Earth, Optimus's body begins to glow and piece back together; each part rebuilding and reforming into a shiny new part.

"What!" Megatron screams as he turns around to see Optimus's body finish rebuilding. Suddenly Optimus's optics flash on; and he looks at Megatron as he holds the device in his hand, "Goin' somewhere?"

"I have no time for you Primal!" Megatron screams as he transforms into dragon mode; still holding the device, "I have an agenda to attend to; one that does not concern you!"

"I have an agenda too Megatron…to make sure you don't succeed with yours!" Optimus states as he extends out his chest cannons. But just as he's about to fire upon him; he stops and sighs.

"What are you doing?" A voice calls out from behind him. "It's not what the Oracle wanted…" Optimus begins when he realizes something, "…Who said that?"

He turns around to see Dinobus Prime and the others standing behind him inside the canyon. "Why didn't you stop him Optimus!" Dinobus shouts.

"Dinobot? But how…?" Optimus asks, overwhelmed in confusion. "I'll explain later. Right now we must pursue Megatron and stop him!" Dinobus states. "Yeah! He's got the sparks of Silverbolt and the others!" Cheetor yells.

"Huh?" Optimus states as he turns to look out in the direction where Megatron had flew off towards; only to see a small dot quickly growing smaller off in the distance. "You mean that they didn't die?" Optimus asks; turning around to look at them.

"No you big ape!" Warpath states; "We've figured out that the device that Megatron used on them wasn't a Spark Destroyer; but in fact it was one of those old Spark Extractors that the we Maximals used to use on Predacon criminals back in the day!"

"Then the Oracle was right…I have to stop Megatron; no matter the cost!" Optimus states; turning back to look out where the small dot was in the sky; only to see nothing but a clear blue sky.

"We must move quickly if we are to track down Megatron and stop him!" Dinobus states. "No Dinobot…" Optimus begins, "…I have a feeling that's not what the Oracle wants me to do."

"Ah fer bootin' up cold!" Rattrap screams as the others stare at Optimus in disbelief. "First Dinobot here gets all 'Great Autobot Leader' on us; then Megatron steals the sparks to our pals _again_; and now yer tellin' me that we're going to just let him go and take their sparks because you have a hunch! Well…now ain't that just Prime!" Rattrap states; crossing his arms.

Back at the Antagony…

"Fools! You have no clue who you're dealing with!" Fenrir screams as he continues to fire upon them; only landing a few shots here and there.

Skar raises his shoulder cannon and targets Fenrir in his crosshairs. He grins happily as he fires; landing a direct hit on Fenrir; sending him into a downward spiral in a trail of smoke.

"Nice shot Skar!" Six-Shot comments as they watch Fenrir bounce and collide with rocks as he agonizingly skips across the slope of the mountain. "Hmm…with that aside; I think it's time you all finish those repairs on the ship." MegaZarak states, and the others nod and move away from the edge of the mountain.

"You haven't seen the last of me!" Fenrir screams as he smashes into rocks as he tumbles down the slope, "…I'll be revenged on you all!"

Elsewhere…

"Ohhh…what happened?" A bot states; slowly rising to his feet. "I'm…I'm not sure. I think we're back on Earth." Another bot comments as she rises to her feet near the first bot.

"Airazor?" the bot asks as he looks over at her. "It is you Tigatron!" She proclaims; rushing over to him.

"Are you damaged?" Tigatron asks her. "I don't think so…" she examines herself quickly, "…But I don't understand. The last thing I remember was us together in Tigerhawk's body; and we were fighting the Nemesis…and then…it all went black. I felt our sparks separating…"

"Same here." Tigatron states, "I guess we'd better see if Optimus and the others are still here. They might have some answers for us." "Yeah…" Airazor states; holding Tigatron's hand as they begin to walk together.

Meanwhile…

"What's going on here?" A voice calls out. "I can't see anything in here!" Another voice calls out; trying to see through the pitch black darkness.

"…And unto his minions; he said let there be light!" A powerful voice cries out; suddenly releasing a flurry of light into the room; illuminating the forms of Rhinox; Silverbolt; and Waspinator.

"What'z going on here? Wazpinator does not understand!" Waspinator shouts as he covers his optics from the blinding light. As their optics begin to adjust; the three lower their arms and look out across the distance and see a figure slowly float towards them.

"You never have been one for intelligence; Waspinator…" the figure states; slowly moving towards them. They watch as a large trail of cables follow him; connecting to his head.

"Who are you?" Silverbolt asks. The figure moves in front of the light; silhouetting himself against the bright light; making him appear almost regal and godly. But the three look again; and the features of the figure become clear.

"No…it can't be!" Rhinox shouts. "Oh yes…" The figure states; clad in a shiny silver control harness with a metal faceplate covering his head. He waves his arms with authority; one which has three fingers and the other with a pair of pincers. He grins slyly through the grills of his faceplate, "…It is I; Megatron; the great Uniter of all the sparks of Cybertron! And you three shall become my generals!"

**Author's Notes:**

Megatron is back; and he plans on using the 3 Maximals as his new generals! What will they do?

And with Optimus Primal back after communing with the Oracle; what will Dinobus Prime and the rest of the Maximals cope with the new Optimus? And will Depth Charge survive facing both his old adversary and his new protégé? And what about Tigatron and Airazor; how will they deal with being alive again? And what are Fenrir's plans now that he's lost control of the Antagony to MegaZarak and his Predacons? And what have Tarantulas and Oracle been doing this whole time?

Keep watchin'…


	17. Episode 69: Dark Transformations

**'Myth Wars': Episode 69: "Dark Transformations":**

(Author's Notes on bottom)

"What? Are you insane?" Silverbolt yells; floating next to Waspinator and Rhinox inside the lighted void as Megatron floats towards them.

"Oh no; my dear Silverbolt; I am thinking quite clearly now…" Megatron begins, "…But now I must enlighten you three to the path that has been laid out before me!"

"Enlighten how?" Silverbolt queries. "Simple. You see; I have been furnished with a way to unite all of the sparks of Transformers from all eras into a single perfect entity…" Megatron grins evilly, "…And I require your help to help me achieve this goal!"

"I'll never join you Megatron!" Rhinox screams in defiance. "Hmm…it would appear that someone needs a reminder about who's the ruler of this realm…" Megatron smirks as he focuses his mind and extends his hand out towards Rhinox; causing him to clench his chest in pain and convulse horribly.

"Hehe…that's better…" Megatron states as he listens to Rhinox's cries of agony. "Leave him alone!" Silverbolt screams as he raises his wingtips and opens fire upon Megatron.

Megatron watches as the missiles fly towards him; and uses his power to stop the missiles in mid flight and disintegrate them into thin air. Silverbolt stares in awe and disbelief as Megatron chuckles lightly to himself, "You can not harm me here! I have complete control over every aspect of this place!" Megatron proclaims.

Rhinox recovers from the trauma, but now he's angry. "I know you're going to destroy us Megatron…get it over with already!" Rhinox shouts in anger. "Ah-ah-ah Rhinox…mind your temper…" Megatron waves his finger at him as a warning, "…There is much you three have to learn; I'm not going to destroy you, no. But I'm sure that with the right amount of torture and persuasion you will come to see things from my point of view…"

Elsewhere…

"Are you prepared to hand you're spark over to me fish boy?" Rampage inquires mockingly. Depth Charge watches in horror as he makes his ways closer towards him; fists glowing an angry red.

"You want my spark X?" Depth Charge roars as he grabs both of his guns, "Come and get it!"

Rampage lurches forward; firing a beam of pure energy at Depth Charge. At the exact same moment Depth Charge aims his guns and fires four missiles at Rampage. They float towards each other and collide in mid air; creating a giant mushroom cloud and a gust of powerful energy that plows into both of them with such ferocity that it actually lifts them off of the ground.

They sail though the air and manage to grab their bearings; landing on their feet. "Oooh; it would appear that you've still got a few tricks up your selve, old adversary!" Rampage laughs. "You haven't seen anything yet; Rampage!" Depth Charge boasts as he runs across the tops of the rocks and races towards him at full speed.

He jumps into the air and extends out his gun; blasting at Rampage as he flies by in mid air. Rampage takes a few hits and falls; but soon rises again and uses his powers to blast Depth Charge in mid air; smashing him into a large boulder.

"Had enough yet?" Rampage laughs triumphantly as he makes his way towards the downed Depth Charge. He looks up slowly at the towering monstrosity; wiping away a trial of black mech fluid from his mouth. "I had enough of you back on Omicron!" Depth Charge screams as he rises to his feet; drawing a pair of swords.

"So, you want to fight the old-fashioned way?" Rampage grabs a double-ended sword from his back; allowing the late-day light to glare off of the edges of both ends as he holds it in the middle, "That suits me just fine!"

Elsewhere…

"Those fools!" Fenrir screams as he kicks a stone across a nearby lake, "I need a new plan; a way to get my revenge upon them…but how?"

He walks up to the water; and peers down at his reflection. "If I remember correctly…" he thinks out loud to himself, "…Tarantulas mentioned something about the Ark; and if that's true; then I might have just what I need to not only defeat the Maximals and Predacons; but my old comrades as well!"

Back on board the Providus…

"Ohhh…what in the slag just happened?" Wing Convoy mutters as he holds his head in pain. He slowly pushes himself up from the floor; moaning from the trauma he endured.

"By the skidplate of Primus himself! It's my Matrix!" he screams as he notices his annex laying on the floor a few feet away from him. "But…how?" he asks himself as he picks up the annex and restores it within his chest.

Looking around the room; he quickly notices the bodies of Silverbolt and Blackarachnia leaned up against one of the walls near the CR chamber. "Hmm…" Wing ponders to himself as he strolls towards the bodies. "I wonder why they would want to save your worthless hides…after all; you're both dead." He states; looking into the face of Blackarachnia.

"Either way; I don't have time for such trivialities…" he mutters as he steps away from her and makes his way over towards the ship's controls.

"Warpath. This is Wing Convoy. Do you copy?" He asks into a speaker. His only response is static. "Snarl, do you copy? This is Wing Convoy!" he shouts into the speaker as he presses a different button, but only gets static back. "Warpath? Snarl? ANYBODY?" He screams into the speaker; but no one replies.

He slams his fists into the controls. "Blast it all! What could've happened to him!" He screams in frustration, and turns to leave the room.

"Oh well…I guess I'll just have to get this ship back airborne by myself then!" Wing grumbles as he turns and exits the room.

But just a few moments after Wing leaves the room; Blackarachnia's body begins to twitch as glowing trails of plasma-like energy emit from her body and back into it. Her parts begin to reform and repair as the trails touch the different damaged parts of her body.

Soon; her body is fully repaired; and her body lies motionless for a moment as the trails retreat back into her body. A few seconds later; her optics blink on and she starts to move.

"Oooh, what hit me?" Blackarachnia states; rubbing her head.

Blackarachnia rises to her feet. "Where…am I?" she asks herself, staring around at the inside of the chamber. "Wait a second…I'm back inside Wing's ship!" she comments, finally able to recognize her surroundings.

She looks around and examines her surroundings a little more when something catches her eye. "Hmm…I wonder who's in there?" she mutters as she strolls over towards the CR chamber and peers inside through the viewing window.

"RHINOX!" she shouts as she stares at his nearly repaired body inside the chamber. "Let's finish those repairs and get you back online!" she states as she pulls a lever and increases the repair cycle of the CR chamber. Suddenly she looks to her left and sees Silverbolt's dead chassis lying against the wall.

"Oh no! SILVERBOLT!" She cries out as she races over to him. She picks up his hand and caresses it gently; "No…I…I've lost you…" she mutters quietly, choking back emotions.

His head hangs limp; badly damaged from Megatron's attack. She gently moves it towards her; and stares into the blank, empty, black optics of his face. "I can't accept that…you can't be gone! I know you're still alive Silverbolt..." she begins as he looks deeply into his expressionless face, "…I will find you and bring you back!"

Back with the other Maximals…

"So, tell me Dinobus; how exactly did you become a Prime?" Optimus asks as they fly together through the air, "I mean Rattrap already explained how he brought you back; but you becoming a Prime still doesn't make sense to me."

"I'm not entirely sure Optimus…" Dinobus begins, "…When I was inside the Matrix I was still Dinobot. I had accepted my fate; and I had become one with the Matrix. But then I felt someone contact my spark…then a wave passed over me; almost like a divine light. It's hard to describe."

"That must have been from Wing Convoy's Matrix! Rattrap mentioned that he used it to bring you back." Optimus comments. "Yes…that was my belief as well…" Dinobus begins, "…Perhaps with me accepting my fate and becoming one I was able to be relieved of my sins from the past; and able to become a Prime."

"Could be…" Optimus states, "…I can't think of a better reason. After all; you were originally a Predacon." "Some part of me is still Predacon…" Dinobus proudly remarks, "…But; for once; I truly feel as though I am more than that…I feel as though I am complete."

Meanwhile; on the ground; Cheetor, Rattrap, Snarl and Warpath follow the two leaders as they fly on high above.

"I wonder what's wrong with Optimus…" Rattrap states as he drives along in vehicle mode. "What do you mean?" Cheetor asks, using his rocket pack to propel him along.

"Look at him…" Rattrap begins, "…He's different; he's changed. I'm not sure how; but he's not the same." "How so?" Cheetor insists. "Normally he'd be all for going after Mega-butt and getting our pal's sparks back; but now he says that's not what the Oracle wants him to do; and he refuses to go after him…what happened?" Rattrap asks.

"I don't know Rattrap…" Cheetor begins as he looks up at Optimus flying high above him, "…But whatever made him change his mind; he must have had a good reason to do it. He's our leader, and I for one am going to follow his orders!"

"Jeesh…looks like that promotion _did_ go to your processor." Rattrap grimaces.

Back with Megatron…

"Let me start at the beginning…" Megatron explains as he summons a series of monitors and screens. They join together in front of him and form as giant picture of his face through the various screens.

An image of the two ships crashing appears; and the monitors show the two ships firing upon each other and then crash into the atmosphere of a nearby planet. "I'm sure you all remember our little encounter as we crashed here upon prehistoric Earth." Megatron states.

The screens then change to a scene of Megatron and his crew battling Optimus and his men in their original beast forms. "Our war waged on; oblivious to what other events had occurred and were occurring on the rest of the planet and across the universe…" Megatron explains.

Images of the Ark and the Nemesis appear on the screen. "My agenda changed many times throughout the course of the Beast Wars; from a mere energon quest to altering history entirely by destroying Optimus Prime, but…" He states as a scene of two Vok heads floating around in space appear on the screens, "You see; once I learned of the aliens' existence; I knew that needed a way to harness their power…and that's where the Transmetal 2 Driver came in!"

The screens once again change scenes; but this time they show a line up of various Predacons; including Megatron in his Transmetal form; Inferno; Quickstrike; Rampage; and Waspinator. "You may recall this Waspinator; but you two may not…" Megatron states as he points to Rhinox and Silverbolt, "…let's watch and see what exactly happened."

Megatron disappears behind the monitors as the audio on the screens activates.

"Royalty; we have reached the coordinates!" Inferno announces as the line of Predacons grinds to a halt near a strange tower with a large metal platform on top.

"Excellent!" Megatron comments as he turns to face the group. "Rampage; you and Quickstrike keep a lookout. If any Maximals should happen to stumble by here…" Megatron grunts a little, "…You know what to do."

"You got it boss!" Quickstrike resonates. "Now; as for you two…" Megatron begins as he turns to face Waspinator and Inferno, "…you shall not remain idle; noooo…I require some _assistance_…yesssss!"

A few moments later; the three Predacons fly towards the top of the platform; landing on the edge. They all suddenly look up and stare in awe at the sight in front of them.

"Incredible…" Megatron gasps as he stares at a giant metal dome-shaped building; with antennas and towers extending out of it.

All of a sudden a light appears on top of one of the towers; and begins to glow as a sound of charging-up powering echoes through the air. Megatron smirks as he watches the tower charge up and fire two bolts of yellow lightning towards him.

But just as Megatron's about to brace for impact; shielding himself with his arms; the two bolts arc away from him and strike Waspinator and Inferno.

Megatron quickly turns to see the two bots collapse and convulse as their bodies begin to mutate and transmetallize.

"Interesting…" Megatron states as he walks over towards Waspinator; now dawned in a new Transmetal body. "…It would appear that the quantum surge has affected this device…and made it transmetallized."

Just then Waspinator begins to cramp up again as his body starts to reformat and revert back to his old robot mode. "Hmm…" Megatron comments as he notices Waspinator's reversion, "…Perhaps what this device needs is some fine tuning, yessss!"

Without hesitation Megatron runs towards the golden-colored metal dome. He stops a few feet away from the building, and slowly reaches out towards the surface.

Much to his surprise; his hand goes right through the surface; emitting a wave across the surface of the liquid-like metal now apparent. "Heh…I _do_ like these aliens…" Megatron comments as he takes a few more steps and vanishes inside the building completely.

As he exits the fluid outside of the building; he enters a small room. Wires traverse the walls of the room; and in the center is a small floating orb inside a column of blue light. The orb is black with red grooves in it; with the red areas glowing and fading in and out.

He strolls towards the center of the room, and reaches out towards the orb. "This must be the control center…" Megatron comments as he grabs the orb and yanks it out of its floatation column.

It shakes a little in his hand; but the shaking soon subsides. But just as Megatron turns to leave the building begins to shake as pieces of the ceiling start to crumble and break off.

"Megatron…Flight Mode!" he screams as he transforms and activates his thrusters. He races towards the wall and plunges right through it as the entire complex begins to crack and crumble in on itself.

"What is happening Royalty?" Inferno chimes as he and Waspinator see the building collapse and the ground beneath them begin to crack. "All Predacons…RETREAT!" Megatron screams as flies off of the platform; followed closely by the other 2 Predacons.

Quickstrike and Rampage look up suddenly to see large chunks of metal fall towards them as the tower cracks and leans towards them. "Uh oh!" Quickstrike comments as he and Rampage run as fast as they can as the shadow of the tower engulfs them.

Suddenly Rampage leaps as the tower smashes into the ground; trapping Quickstrike under the bulk of the tower as a huge dust cloud fans out. A few seconds later the whole tower explodes; shooting Rampage into the air.

He flies through the air and plows into the ground; skidding to a halt a few feet away from Megatron and the others.

"Perhaps you'd care to explain what just happened back there?" Rampage remarks sarcastically as he rises to his feet; brushing the dust off himself. Megatron merely frowns in contempt as he looks out across the area; only to see the blackened, toasted hide of Quickstrike emerge slowly out of the smoky crater; stumbling as he walks.

"It does not matter now…" Megatron begins as he holds up the Transmetal Driver, "…For now I have the means to defeat the Maximals once and for all!"

"You see…" the real Megatron begins as the screens turn off and separate, "…My agenda has changed very little since then. I still wish to destroy the Maximals; but now I'm looking at the larger picture."

"Are you insane? Do you actually think that we will help you destroy our own kind?" Silverbolt stammers. "Allow me to explain…" Megatron begins, silencing Silverbolt with his tone of authority.

"My plan is this: I plan on uniting all the sparks of Cybertron. In order to do so; I will need to destroy both Maximal and Predacon; and all those who came before! Thus, I will create an army of drones to attack the cities of Cybertron; to capture the sparks of every inhabitant of Cybertron and bringing them back to me so that they can be assimilated!" Megatron states.

"Then, once all the sparks are together in one place, I will join and fuse them all together, and all will be one finally! 'Til all are one!" Megatron boasts. "'Til all are one!" Rhinox shouts, "That's the old Autobot motto!"

"How observant of you my dear Rhinox…" Megatron comments, "…That's precisely what the Oracle of Cybertron wants me to do; unite all the sparks into one!"

"You can't be serious! You mean that the Oracle of Cybertron wants _you_ to fulfill an Autobot prophecy?" Silverbolt states. "Yes…that's exactly what I'm saying!" Megatron bellows as he summons the screens again.

The three watch as they see and hear Megatron talk to the Oracle, and the Oracle tell him that Primal can not handle just a task as this one. "But…it can't be true…" Rhinox begins, looking away in confusion and revelation. "Yes, it is true Rhinox! Optimus has failed! His views and goals are not the same ones shared by the Oracle of Cybertron; the great and all powerful entity behind Vector Sigma and Primus himself! Optimus is a failure; and I am the one that the Oracle wants to unite all of Cybertron. ME!" Megatron screams.

"But…but…" Silverbolt stutters, trying to make sense of it all. "You are a creature of noble ideals, Silverbolt. Surely you see the purity and righteousness of the task that the Oracle has bestowed upon me." Megatron slyly states, with a certain air of smoothness in his voice.

"Yes, but…why you?" Silverbolt comments. "What difference does it make? Predacon or Maximal, the Oracle wishes all to be as one again; and perhaps it figures that a Predacon is the best to carry out such a task." Megatron replies.

"How did you contact the Oracle anyway?" Rhinox asks. "I didn't. It contacted me; shortly after I died fighting Optimus in a canyon. After I went back to the Ark and reacquired the original Megatron's spark; I was confronted by Optimus inside the Ark. I managed to escape and attacked you three. After I killed you; Optimus tracked me down and attacked me in a canyon. We both went offline…" Megatron explains, creating sympathy with his words.

"When I died; I felt the original Megatron's spark fuse with mine. I'm not certain if Optimus knows about this; but I know that he won't attack me now." Megatron comments. "Huh?" Rhinox asks. "What other reason would he have for not attacking you?" Silverbolt asks. "I'm sure that the Oracle explained its plan to him as well. It must have." Megatron states.

"You all remember back on Cybertron…" Megatron begins, "…How the Predacons were constantly degraded and humiliated. Every time a Predacon tried to speak out against Maximal rule, they were either locked up or sent to one of the remote Predacon outposts! Why? Because they were Predacon; because they weren't Maximal; because they were different!" Megatron growls, "I watched helplessly for many stellar cycles as hundreds upon hundreds of my fellow Transformers were caged and shackled, just because they were Predacons! Finally, I grew tired of it all. I grew tired of the Tri-Predacus Counsel and their endless deliberations and inactions; and I grew tired of everything! I had to act! That's why I stole the Golden Disk! I knew that it held the location of a large supply of Energon on a planet called Earth; a place that had been forbidden to visit by the Maximal Elders! A place where I could get enough Energon to return to Cybertron a conqueror and free my people! Perhaps that's why the Oracle chose me to handle this task! It was always my goal; but now the Oracle has expanded it to unite all the peoples of Cybertron; not just the Predacons!"

"Listen to me…" Megatron pleads with a certain level of charm, "…I know that you all must have morals and ideals that you hold near and dear to your sparks. I ask you to look inside yourselves; and see what's truly important to you. Are you really willing to follow the Maximals and their misguided sense of perfection in a world where bots still live in fear and where no one is equal; or do you want to be a part of a new golden age of Cybertron; where everyone is treated equally; where no one ever has to fear for their lives; or even look up to a _superior_. I can not make the decision for you; you must decide for yourselves. If I were to forcibly turn you and make you ally with me; I'd be no better than a Maximal…no better than Optimus himself!"

A long silence fills the air as the three stare at Megatron in shock and disbelief.

Finally Rhinox opens his mouth to speak. "You mean to say that all along the Maximals were wrong…that we were really the enemy?" Rhinox asks.

"Yes, my dear Rhinox, you finally see the truth…" Megatron states. "I still can't believe that all along I thought I was serving a just and noble cause; fighting for the Maximals; but in truth I wasn't…" Silverbolt begins, "…I'm not even sure if the ideals that I hold true to my heart are even real anymore!"

"Do not question your heart Silverbolt…" Megatron begins as he floats towards him. He presses a button on his exo-suit and the wires begin to disconnect from his head. His suit separates and he falls, stopping and floating a few feet in front of Silverbolt. Now in his earthen robot mode, he reaches out and places a hand upon Silverbolt's shoulder and smiles, "…You can be noble and brave and serve an unjust cause. It was an honest mistake. You were simply…misguided. I can show you the truth path to redemption and purity. Will you join me?"

Silverbolt stares into his optics, silent and unsure what to say. A million thoughts flood his mind, and he looks at Megatron for guidance. "Do what you think is right Silverbolt…" Megatron states.

"Yes…" Silverbolt states, looking at Megatron with a face of stern understanding and determination, "…I will join you. Count me in!"

"Count me in too," Rhinox states, floating over towards the two, "While I still don't agree with you as the uniter of Cybertron; you're argument is logical and sound. Optimus was wrong; and I join you willingly."

"Waspinator wants in too!" Waspinator happily replies.

"Excellent; then it's settled!" Megatron states as he rises through the air and reconnects with his control harness. "Then there is one final matter to attend to…" he begins as he extends his arm out and their bodies begin to glow and change shape, "…To bestow upon you new personas; so that you may begin new lives as not only my generals; but as participants in a new, bold, and glorious age of Cybertron!"

Suddenly the change stops; and their forms are only partially changed. "What!" Megatron yells as he sees this. "Why do we need new forms?" Silverbolt comments; parts of his body now with blue metal plates and his body aerodynamic. "Think about this: I know that even though you have chosen to join me in my crusade; I'm sure that you don't want to face your old friends as your former selves. I think that new forms would be so much more preferable." Megatron explains. "That makes sense to me, boss!" Silverbolt responds, but his voice is suddenly altered and high-pitched.

"I now look upon you, as you stand in your partially mutated forms, not as conglomerates of your former Maximal selves and your future Vehicon personalities, but as participants in the greatest quest the universe has ever seen!" Megatron proclaims in triumph as he starts to laugh with glee; and the other 3 join him.

"Now, if you'll excuse me…" Megatron states as he faces the three generals, "…I'm going to go and see if I can recover your real world bodies. There is much work to be done; and I shall return shortly!"

And with that Megatron's form disappears almost instantly inside the void.

Back in the real world Megatron disconnects a wire from the Spark Containment Unit that is attached to himself and retracts it back into his body.

"Ha! Those fools…" Megatron states as he laughs to himself, "…They ate the bait quite well. They have no clue that those new bodies I attempted to give them are actually entirely new personalities and that even in their semi-transformed states the programs will still take affect and ensure that they never turn against me! And even though I now have 3 generals at my disposal; I'm still going to try to do things my way first; and unite all the sparks into a single elegant machine…ME!"

Elsewhere…

Depth Charge and Rampage are heavily engaged in battle; smashing their swords against one another when suddenly Rampage swings low and slices Depth Charge across the knees.

As his knees buckle under him, Depth Charge falls to the ground and Rampage plunges one end of the double-ended sword into his chest.

"Cry out all you like; I enjoy it!" Rampage snickers as he twists the blade inside Depth Charge's chest. Depth Charge growls in pain as he tries to fight back, but can't. Rampage laughs as he pushes the bladed deeper and deeper into his chest, "It's time to join the Matrix; fish boy!"

Back with Optimus and Dinobus…

"What?" Optimus cries out as he sees Wing Convoy outside the Providus, fixing a couple of wire connections inside a small panel opening.

"Huh?" Wing states as he turns around to see Optimus and Dinobus land side by side a short distance away. "Well…if it ain't the big cry baby! Come back for a few more spankings I see…I thought you'd learned your lesson last time!" Wing mocks.

"Oh no…" Optimus states, as Dinobus draws his swords and stands next to Optimus in a battle stance, "…This time, it's you who will be learning the lesson!"

**Author's Notes:**

Things are going from bad to worse; and fast! Optimus and Dinobus against Wing Convoy! Depth Charge taken down by Rampage! And Megatron turning 3 former Maximals into his new Vehicon generals! And Fenrir is plotting his own revenge…

And all this time Tarantulas has been plotting something too…something that will change history forever!

What will happen next?

Don't miss it!


	18. Episode 70: Stalemate

**'Myth Wars': Episode 70: "Stalemate":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

Wing Convoy eyes Optimus and Dinobus with hatred as he starts to move, placing one foot behind the other and moving to the right.

"Hmm…could it be that the lowly monkey has finally got some backbone?" Wing snickers as he never takes his optics off of the two bots before him.

"He's more of a leader than you ever were, Convoy!" Dinobus growls in contempt. "Hold on…" Wing begins, "…I recognize that voice…Dinobot!"

"Correct!" Dinobus nods, "But now I am Dinobus Prime!" "What! You, a Prime!" Wing Convoy looks at him stunned, and then begins to laugh.

"I'd advise you to watch what you say, Convoy, before I rip your useless head off!" Dinobus screams, pointing one of his swords at Convoy's head.

Wing takes a moment to stop laughing, and begins to regain his composure, "Alright, so you're a Prime now. That doesn't mean that you're not the same Predacon felon that escaped me back on Cybertron!"

"Shut your mouth Convoy!" Dinobus yells. "Blow it out your exhaust port Dinobot! I'm not taking orders from any Prime-wannabe! I don't care how you became a Prime; in my book you're still just a short-tempered, ugly Predacon criminal!" Wing retorts with extreme disgust, "They should have killed you back on Cybertron!"

"Wing, we came here to talk!" Optimus interrupts, stunning both Wing and Dinobus. "Well then, talk! What do you want, traitor?" Wing sneers.

Optimus growls a little, but holds back. "Megatron's captured the sparks of Waspinator, Silverbolt and Rhinox," Optimus begins, "And we need your help to get them back."

"Oh, so that's what their bodies were doing in the CR chamber!" Wing states, "But no matter. Once I get rid of you two, I'll destroy their bodies as well as yours!"

"What!" Optimus shouts, stunned, "You can't do that! They're Maximals, sentient beings! You, of all people, have no right! You are a Convoy!"

"Do not presume to order me Commander Primal!" Wing snaps, "I can do whatever I slaggin' well please, and no one will stop me! I became a Convoy because I knew how to give commands, and I knew how to make my troops follow my every word! I ruled with an iron fist; and no one ever questioned my command; EVER!"

"But you swore an oath when you became a Convoy, to uphold Maximal ideals and help in the creation of a better future for all Transformers!" Optimus states. "Yes, that may be so Primal, but I am not a fool. I still hold those ideals close to my spark, but those so-called Maximals under your command tried to scrap me after I blew up on you; and that is not forgivable. No one berates a superior officer, much less attacks them with firepower!" Wing Convoy explains.

"Bah! How much of this dribble must I endure?" Dinobus screams in frustration. "Let me try to reason with him first Dinobus. I want to try to avoid a fight if at all possible." Optimus states quietly to him.

"Quit whispering! I won't have you morons plotting against me!" Wing growls. "I don't want to fight you Wing Convoy!" Optimus states, "Please listen to me. I need your help to…"

"Clamp it Primal!" Wing screams, "I've had enough of you! You're just as irritating now as back on Cybertron; maybe even more-so. I'm going to put an end to your pathetic existence right here and now!"

Wing Convoy charges at the two leaders with his swords drawn and extended in front of him. "Looks like we can't avoid this battle!" Dinobus shouts as he runs towards Wing with his swords drawn as well.

They clash together, their swords clanging against each other as Wing swings his swords masterfully at his adversary. Dinobus blocks his every swing, and manages to slice Wing Convoy across the chest, sending him falling to the ground.

"Stand up and face me coward!" Dinobus screams, using his fingers to signal Wing to rise. Wing quickly grabs one of his swords and stabs Dinobus in the stomach, "…Don't worry about me; it's you who is going to die!"

Dinobus stumbles back from the injury, yanking the sword out of his abdomen. "DINOBUS!" Optimus shouts with concern. "I'm fine…" Dinobus mutters, examining the wound, "It's not deep, and it hit no vital circuitry."

"Too bad, next time I must aim better!" Wing grumbles as he rises to his feet.

"You've gone too far this time Convoy!" Optimus screams, "The Oracle said that Megatron must survive, but it said nothing about you!"

Optimus extends his chest cannons and fires at Wing, but he expertly dives and rolls out of the line of fire, dodging Primal's blasts.

"You're going to have to be faster than that to hit me!" Wing sneers as he leaps into the air and does a flying side kick into Primal's chest; sending him falling to the ground.

Wing Convoy stands upon Primal's downed torso and raises his blade when suddenly fingers clasp his throat and squeeze tightly. "Go back to the slaggin' pit you came from, Convoy!" Dinobus screams as he lifts Wing into the air and throws him straight into the Providus's raised shields.

Wing howls in pain as his body is fried by the shields; but then a wave of energy ripples across the shields; shooting Wing off and slamming him into the ground.

"It's over." Primal announces as he turns to walk away.

"Oh no…" Wing begins, rising slowly to his feet as his body smolders and creaks with every move, "…I'm not done with you yet!"

Elsewhere…

"Finally, we're here!" Gigatron announces as the three bots stand in front of the partially buried Autobot shuttle.

"Tidal Wave, go inside quickly and see if any of the pods can be recovered." Gigatron states, "The more, the better!"

"You don't understand!" Nemesis states as she and Gigatron walk towards the ship, "I need one of those pods to…" "Bring back your boy-toy?" Gigatron interrupts.

"I'm warning you…" Nemesis begins, "…I'd watch your mouth if I were you. It's your fault that the Maximals captured us back on Cybertron in the first place!"

"My fault!" Gigatron mutters in complete shock, "You know darn well that it was Megatron who set us up! He's the real reason that we were captured! We just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when they caught us; that's all!"

Nemesis quickly draws one of her swords, "I said quiet Gigatron! Just give me one of the pods; NOW!"

"You dare turn against me!" Gigatron screams in anger, "GIGATRON…TERRORIZE!"

Nemesis sees Gigatron transform; but before he's fully out of transformation she launches one of her swords directly into his chest.

"The stasis pods are alri-BOSS!" Tidal Wave yells in shock as he sees Gigatron collapse with Nemesis's blade protruding from his chest.

"Stay out of this Tidal Wave!" Nemesis shouts, pointing her sword at him.

"Like the pit I will!" Tidal Wave growls as he charges at her full force. She kneels down and jumps straight up into the air and lands on his back; delivering a mighty blow with her sword into his body.

He stumbles and falls to the ground as she yanks the blade out of his massive body and strikes him across the lower back as she jumps off of him.

"That…hurt!" He yells as he rises to his feet; apparently unharmed by the damage she inflicted. He rushes her before she has a chance to react and with one arm manages to lift her into the air and hurl her into the hull of the shuttle.

"GIGATRON! Are you alright?" Tidal Wave winces as he sees his leader lying motionless on the ground near him, "Please boss, speak to me! Ya can't die on me like this!"

Just then he senses something behind him; and turns just in time to see a rocket-propelled sword flying straight towards his face.

Before he has a chance to move; the blade plunges into his head and sends him stumbling back; slamming into the ground near Gigatron.

"Nobody tosses me around like some cheap knock-off!" Nemesis proclaims as she walks towards the two downed Predacons.

Tidal Wave twitches on the ground; his face nearly split in two by her blade. "And stay down!" she states as she kicks his body, and walks away towards the Autobot shuttle.

She walks to the side of the shuttle; and looks up at the open hatchway. Moving swiftly, she hops onto the hull and climbs up the top of the ship, and pulls herself into the ship.

Inside, she slides down the slick walkway and skids to a halt just inches from the control console and windshield. "Autobot tech…what a load of slag!" she mutters as she looks around for any sign of the pods.

Using the seats, she pulls herself up inch by inch towards the back of the ship, which is now sticking skyward. She finally manages to pull herself up to the rear of the ship, and to her amazement she sees a set of pods lying jumbled up against the front wall of the back cabin.

"Looks like this is my lucky day!" she mutters as she hops up onto the wall, which is now the floor, and grabs one of the pods.

But as she struggles to move the pod, she sees a shadow envelop her as the sunlight is blocked by someone peering into the ship from above.

Without hesitation, she howls in pain as she uses all her strength to lift the pod and fling it straight into the air; right through the doorway and into the onlooker with a blood-curdling crunch.

A few moments later she hops out onto the back of the ship and looks down to see Tidal Wave lying on the ground, the stasis pod buried into his chest so far that the sides of his body have burst out of his protective outer casing.

She looks down at him, noticing all of his internal mechanisms sprawled out across the surrounding area. And as she hops off of the ship; she walks over to him.

She picks up his head; and holds it in front of her face; looking into his blank and cracked optics. "And so out of your death shall arise a new life!" she mutters, discarding his head. It cracks in half as she makes her way to his body and, with some difficulty, yanks out the stasis pod.

She drags the heavy pod towards the Darklight; and begins to pull it up the ramp when she hears something.

"No…you…can't!" Gigatron screams, reaching out towards her as he uses his tail lance as a crutch. "You should have just let me take the pod; it would have been so much easier…" she mutters as she chokes up a little; watching the wounded Gigatron try to limp towards her like an injured seal.

"…Goodbye Gigatron. I will miss you." She mutters as she gives him one final salute; and closes the door to the ship.

"No…" he begins as he watches her fire up the engines and rise into the air, "NEMESIS!"

A few moments later, as Gigatron watches Nemesis steal his ship and fly off into the distance, a bot stomps up behind him. "Huh?" Gigatron mutters as he turns to see a large red figure stand behind him.

"Megatron!" Gigatron states in wonder as he stares at him. Megatron raises his arm and moves the claws of the spark capture device, "Gigatron; I know that we've had our differences in the past; but I require something of you…"

Gigatron looks at him confused, "Hmm…what's this thing you require?" "I'll explain later," Megatron begins, "But it will not be easy. There is much planning to do; but once it has been done; nothing the universe can conjure up will be able to stop me!"

"What's in this for me?" Gigatron snaps. Megatron growls a little, but then nods, "You need not worry…you will be well rewarded!"

"Fine. But if this is a trick…" Gigatron warns. "Just get that Autobot shuttle activated. We will need those protoforms…" Megatron smirks evilly.

Meanwhile…

"Give it up flounder. I need your spark; and I shall have it!" Rampage states as he leans over Depth Charge, twisting the blade inside Depth Charge's body. Depth Charge looks up at him; and even though Rampage was full of determination; he could tell that Rampage was in unbearable pain, "…You're going to die anyway. Just give up and surrender your spark to me!"

Suddenly Rampage feels the tip of a gun near his spark chamber in his chest. "I'm not dying today X…" Depth Charge begins as he fingers the trigger, "…And when I do die; it won't be at your hands! I'm doing this for your own good!" And with that, Depth Charge fires a shot into his chest at point blank range.

Rampage looks at him square in the optics, and for a brief moment he thinks he sees Rampage smile. "Thank you, old friend…" he quietly mutters, as his optics slowly dim and go out completely.

Depth Charge pushes his gun forward, using the forward momentum to throw Rampage off of him. He sees a smoking hole inside Rampage's chest as he rises to his feet. "Luckily I had that spare gun." He mutters to himself, brushing the dirt off of his body.

Just then a laser blast hits him in the back, and he collapses to the ground in pain. "How could you!" Dreadnought screams, running towards them.

Depth Charge stares at her in silence, unable to move his body from the damage of her shot and Rampage's attack.

"How could you kill him!" She cries out, rushing over to Rampage. She holds his body close to her body, gently caressing it as she rubs her cheek lightly against his head.

"He was like a father to me…he saved me!" She screams, unable to control her emotions. Depth Charge stares at her blankly, unsure of what to say in response.

_My old adversary, the butcher of Colony Omicron, saved her? How could this be?_ Depth Charge pondered to himself.

"All he wanted was your spark! Do you know why?" she asked him. "No…why?" Depth Charge asks politely. "He was dying! He needed your spark to survive! His own spark was incomplete from the split by Megatron; and he needed a spark to survive! Why couldn't you just give him your spark? WHY!" She cried as she held the body of Rampage close; unable to let go.

Depth Charge looks at her, "I made my peace with the allspark when we died together fighting in the water near the Nemesis. I'm almost afraid to say it; but it was like he and I were connected after that. I could sense what he was thinking and feeling; and whether or not you could tell; he was in terrible pain. He wanted me to kill him; to free him from the pain of having his half-spark try to live moment after agonizing moment. I…had no choice. As much as I hated him; I strangely couldn't bear seeing him in that amount of pain; at least not from my own doing. Although I can not understand your pain; know this: Even though he was a brutal killer and slaggin' manic; he could be kind when he found the right bot. Now I guess it's up to you to keep him alive; in your memory and in your spark."

She looks over at him; staring at him with confusion and wonder. Her gaze then slowly moves back to Rampage; his dead, heavy body leaning on her. Then she looks back up at Depth Charge without saying a word.

Suddenly she grabs her head and starts shaking her head violently; leaving Depth Charge to stare at her in wonder. "Nooooo!" She screams, rising to her feet suddenly. Rampage's body flops to the ground; and she reaches behind her back and grabs her gun.

Depth Charge tries to move, but his body begins to cramp up and twitch violently. "_Systems damage extensive; emergency repair required or loss of spark may result. Stasis lock will commence in 2.2 clicks._" His internal computer states as he falls back down to the ground.

Depth Charge suddenly looks up to see two gun barrels in his face. "I'm not falling for any of your tricks, Maximal scum!" Dreadnought screams; her finger pressed firmly against the trigger; "You killed my father, and now I'm sending you back to that slag-pit of a scrapheap you came from! DIE!"

At that exact moment two laser blasts plow into Dreadnought; knocking her over. Depth Charge looks over his shoulder and sees two bots standing a few feet away from him.

"Leave here Predacon!" One of the bots states. Dreadnought quickly rises to her feet and looks at the two bots. But just as she raises her gun to fire upon them; she sees their optics begin to glow bright green as their fists glow the same color.

"This ain't over Depth Charge! So help me; I'll rip your still pulsating spark from your dying corpse and destroy it in front of your helpless optics! I will kill you! Vengeance will be mine!" She screams as she transforms into beast mode and makes a hasty retreat.

"I…I recognize…that voice…" Depth Charge states as he tries to look at the two bots behind. "Rest now…you've been badly injured." One of the bots replies calmly, reaching out towards him. "You…you're Tigerhawk, right?" Depth Charge asks. "I…we once were, yes." Tigatron states, "But now we're separated, back as Tigatron and Airazor."

"Well…at least…you're a Maximal…" Depth Charge chokes out. "Lie still; you're going to go into stasis lock if you keep moving like that." Airazor comments. "I'm fine…just leave me…" Depth Charge mutters.

He tries to stand up; but his knees buckle as he collapses. They watch as his optics go out and his body goes limp. "Told ya so." Airazor laughs lightly.

They reach down and pick him up, his arms slung over their shoulders as they drag him off.

But not far away, a pair of glowing optics watch the two leave between some large rocks. "Rampage…I will carry on your legacy. They will not survive much longer, I promise you that!" Dreadnought states as steps out and drags Rampage's body off.

Elsewhere…

"At very long last, I'm here!" Fenrir screams as he stands in front of the entrance to the Autobot ship, the Ark, "Or should I say; I'm home!" He throws his head back in laughter as he closes his eyes for a few moments, and then suddenly opens them.

He fires a pair of beams of coding out of his optics into the repaired door panel outside the ship; apparently repaired by Teletran-1 sometime after Megatron and Primal left the last time.

The doors begin to slowly creak open as the giant die-cast metal doors grind against the floor. "Yes; and now nothing can stop me! NOTHING!"

Back with Optimus…

Wing Convoy runs at full speed towards Dinobus, clothes-lining him with his arm as he runs by.

Dinobus falls to the ground and Optimus grabs his blaster; but Wing quickly jumps into the air and roundhouse kicks the gun out of Primal's hand.

"You're a worthy opponent…" Dinobus begins as he rises to his feet, "…I shall enjoy killing you!"

"Save it, bird-boy!" Wing mutters as he charges at Dinobus, punching him repeatedly in the stomach, torso and head. Dinobus stumbles back, dazed from Wing's attack.

Just then Primal grabs him by the shoulders with his massive hands. "Let go of me now!" Wing screams. "No chance!" Primal replies, holding Wing tightly. "Fine then, have it your way!" Wing states as he twists himself free of Primal's grasp and does a mid-air back flip as he floats down through the air.

Primal swings at him, but he misses as Wing ducks and kicks Primal in the chest.

At that moment Dinobus grabs his swords again and charges Wing. Wing quickly pulls out his sword and defends himself against Dinobus's attacks.

Finally, Dinobus manages to land a hit and slashes Wing across the chest. Wing trips and falls on his back; holding the deep wound in his chest as sparks arc out.

"You think you've won, don't you?" Wing mutters as he taps his wrist, and all of a sudden they hear the gun platforms on the Providus activate.

Just then a fury of laser blasts come out of nowhere and blast right through the shields; destroying the gun ports.

"WHAT?" Wing screams, crawling towards the ship. "You remember us?" Cheetor states, as he and the rest of the Maximals arrive on the scene.

"Nice timing!" Optimus comments. "How did you shoot through the shields?" Wing asks. "That would be my doing…" Snarl states, "I told them the harmonics of our shields so that they could fire right through them." "Oh no…" Wing gulps as he deactivates the shields and lowers the ramp to the ship.

"You aren't going anywhere!" a voice calls out from behind him; and he turns just in time to receive a boot heel square in the face.

"BLACKARACHNIA?" Everyone else chimes out as they see her standing in the doorway of the ship, fully repaired. "Can't get rid of a girl like me that easily." She smiles with a wink.

"Blast you all! This is not over!" Wing states, rising to his feet. "You're going down today Convoy! Rattrap told me all about how you attacked Rhinox during his battle with Megatron!" Optimus states, recalling the scene in his mind through Rattrap's optics as he watches the guns fire upon Rhinox; causing him to lose his battle and his spark to Megatron.

"So, the rat's a squealer?" Wing comments sarcastically. "Why I oughtta!" Rattrap states, shaking his fist at him.

"Well; still won't admit defeat Convoy?" Primal states. "Defeat is not in my vocabulary. I'll never admit defeat; not ever!" Wing retorts; pressing a button on his wrist.

"Uh-oh…" Blackarachnia states. "What is it?" Optimus calls to her as she stands in the doorway of the ship. "There's a countdown timer in here. The ship's about to go boom!"

"Everybody scramble!" Cheetor yells. "Maximals, retreat!" Optimus chimes in. "Go on; destroy yourself then Convoy; no one will miss you!" Dinobus growls.

Wing Convoy throws his head back with insane laughter as Rattrap and Cheetor rush inside the ship and help Blackarachnia carry out the bodies of Rhinox and Silverbolt; both of which are now fully repaired from the CR chamber.

But as Cheetor begins to run away; he senses something. "What are you two doing?" he asks as he sees Snarl and Warpath standing beside Wing.

"He is our commander Cheetor; and we must die with him. Please do not try to understand; just go." Warpath states as he waves farewell to the Maximals.

"I'm not leaving you here to die!" Cheetor yells. "Cheetor! We have to go now!" Dinobus cries out; grabbing Cheetor's arm and yanking him away.

Cheetor stares over his shoulder back at them as he watches the shields raise on the ship again. They lose sight of the ship and as they continue running away they suddenly hear a giant explosion from the ship's direction.

"Well…so much for the great Wing Convoy." Optimus states, as they all look back at the smoke rising into the air.

"Yeah, but what about Warpath and Snarl…?" Cheetor mutters, his head hung in sadness. "They made their choice!" Dinobus says, "…Albeit the wrong choice. They were good warriors; they should not have stayed with such a vile and contemptible leader as him."

"Yes, they made the wrong choice I fear as well…" Optimus begins, "…But now we must focus on finding the sparks of Rhinox, Waspinator and Silverbolt; and restoring them into their proper hosts." "Count me in!" Cheetor exclaims, punching into the air.

Back at the Providus…

"Excellent! You were perfect!" Wing comments as he nods approvingly at Snarl and Warpath and lowers the shields from around them.

"Did we really have to blow up a quarter of our energon reserves?" Snarl asks. "It was the only way. I once I awoke and saw the bodies of the Maximals inside the ship; I knew they would be back for them. It was the only way to ensure that they only got away with only the dead bodies of the Maximals and not my ship too." Wing states.

"But you could have been a little quicker…I mean that fake static transmission was hard enough to create; and then me fighting both Optimus and Dinobot…" Wing explains. "Sorry sir; we couldn't move that fast. We had to gain their trust; like you wanted. The shield's harmonics trick was sheer brilliance; it gained their trust almost completely!" Warpath exclaims.

"Indeed it was…" Wing grins smugly, "…And now that we don't have to worry about them interfering with us anymore; we can finally finish the repairs on the ship!"

_I know I'm obeying my superior; but why do I feel as though I've done something…terribly wrong?_ Warpath silently thinks to himself as he looks out across the horizon in the direction the Maximals left in.

Meanwhile…

"Finally! I'm here!" Tarantulas states, staring out across the wide expanse of the lands of Unicron.

"ARE YOU PREPARED TO CARRY OUT THE TASK I HAVE ASKED OF YOU?" Unicron booms. "But of course…" Tarantulas snickers.

Tarantulas's optics dim as he reaches out towards the sky; and relaxes his body. Suddenly the ground begins to shake as the surrounding mountains begin to crumble and break apart.

"YES! IT'S WORKING!" Unicron proclaims as the ground quakes and booms with tremendous force.

Suddenly, a shadowy form of Unicron's head rises out of the ground and turns to face Tarantulas. "I AM FREE! AT VERY LONG LAST!" Unicron laughs with the happiness that only freedom can bring as his form rises through the air; straight out of the atmosphere and into outer space.

"Excellent! Now Unicron will be free to destroy the Vok's home world! Finally, the final obstacle to my ultimate goal has been removed!" Tarantulas cackles with evil laughter.

At that exact moment…

"AAAAHHHHHH!" A cloaked figure screams as his body shakes violently. His cloak begins to burn as he holds his opticin pain asit too burns. A few agonizing moments later, he collapses to the ground from the trauma.

A couple of minutes pass; and the burnt figure slowly twitches and begins to move. "Oh, what happened?" he asks, his single yellow glowing optic panning across the surrounding area.

He suddenly rises to his feet, and looks around in terror. "M-M-Megatron! Must find Megatron!" He stammers as he runs away as fast as he can.

Back with Tarantulas…

"So, you managed to free Unicron?" A voice states from behind Tarantulas.

He turns to see a shadowy figure floating a few yards away, draped in a long black cloak. "And so what if I did?" Tarantulas grunts.

All of a sudden the skies begin to darken as the figure rises higher off of the ground. Pure black clouds fill the skies out of nowhere and jagged purple bolts of lightning streak across the clouds like missiles. Lightning bolts arc down from the sky and into the strangely shaped fists of the cloaked figure.

Tarantulas stares in awe as the figure looks up at him; as their face becomes illuminated by the dim light of the surrounding area.

"You have just committed the ultimate crime against the Vok!" She states, her face marked with ancient Quintesson markings. Suddenly her head rotates as a new, evil Quintesson face appears, "And now you shall die!"

**Author's Notes:**

Here it comes! The ultimate showdown! Unicron-powers versus Quintesson-powers! Vok vs. Vok! Tarantulas vs. Oracle! Who will win?

How did Fenrir get the codes to the Ark? And what will he do once inside? What will he do to get revenge upon MegaZarak and his men?

What will Megatron and Gigatron do next? What sinister plan does Megatron have up his sleeve?

What will the Maximals do to get the sparks of their pals back? And what are Wing Convoy's plans now that everyone thinks he's dead?

And what will Dreadnought do to get revenge on Depth Charge, Airazor, and Tigatron?

Keep watchin!


	19. Episode 71: Stalwart Combat

**'Myth Wars': Episode 71: "Stalwart Combat":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

Tarantulas stands near the edge of the giant volcanic bed where Unicron once was imprisoned; cautious eyeing his adversary Oracle.

"You take your name from a powerful entity, but you are no where near as powerful as you think you are!" Tarantulas nods and laughs quietly to himself.

"You have no concept of my power!" Oracle screams in a demonic voice; sizing up her opponent.

Tarantulas laughs sarcastically, "Huh! And I'm supposed to believe this? You couldn't stop me from freeing Unicron; and you couldn't stop me from destroying your fellow emissaries…why should I believe that you're nothing more than another feeble attempt to make the Vok seem powerful when in reality they're nothing more than a bunch of arrogant simple-minded floating heads?"

All of a sudden the ground shakes tremendously as a series of quakes ripple across the ground; with her at the epicenter. "Your time has come Tarantulas. I'm not certain as to how you managed to evade me thus far; but now you can not escape! Today; I will avenge my fellow Vok; and prevail!"

"Heh…your pathetic little nature-tricks do not amuse me Oracle…" Tarantulas chuckles, "…I'd advise you to give up now while you're still alive to do so!"

"Are you challenging me?" Oracle queries.

"Normally I'm not one to engage in hand to hand combat; but seeing as how you just won't take a hint…" Tarantulas begins as he charges up the air around him and creates a swirling ball of blue fire, "…I guess I have no choice but to teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"

Meanwhile…

Deep inside the Mt. St. Hilary; Fenrir walks down the halls of the now dormant Ark…

"How good it is to see you again, mightyMegatron!" Fenrir mutters as he walks up to the stasis-locked body of the leader of the Decepticons.

"Now that you're not able to protect yourself from me…" he begins as he reaches out and taps one of the buttons on Megatron's abdomen; opening his spark chamber, "…I shall destroy you before you can destroy me!"

He smiles with delight as he watches the gears grind together slowly; opening up the spark chamber of the defenseless Megatron.

"WHAT?" He screams in shock mere moments later as he gazes upon his empty spark chamber. "But how? Where could it have gone?" he stammers as he tries to make sense of what's happening.

He looks around the Ark, still in shock. "Wait a second…" he begins as he slowly moves away from Megatron's body and towards the central controls.He accesses Teletran-1 and brings up hologram security film of the recent battle with Megatron, Primal, Gigatron and Tidal Wave. "So; that's what happened...theywere here too!"

"Hmm…so much for Plan A," Fenrir states as he walks back down the hall. He walks over to a slumped over robot; one that is quite familiar to him, "Guess I'll just have to go with Plan B then!"

He relaxes his body and begins to open up his chest; revealing the inner workings of his body. As his chest fully opens, a pair of metal spheres emerge from his body; protruding from the ends of two long poles.

The metal spheres break apart and open up. Hidden inside each one is a spark.

A moment later the dormant bot's chest cockpit opens up; and reveals a series of complex locks and panels; which open and slide apart to reveal the spark inside.

Suddenly the two sparks within Fenrir's body shoot out and into the body of the dormant bot; expelling the original spark and Fenrir collapses to the ground; dead.

"YES!" the bot roars in triumph as his optics flash on and he begins to move. He stands to his feet and throws his arms into the air, "STARSCREAM LIVES AGAIN!"

Elsewhere…

"How close are we to being operational?" Wing Convoy asks Snarl as he sits in the pilot's chair.

"Just a matter of cycles…almost all systems are in perfect working condition!" Snarl replies.

"Perfect!" Wing states as he crosses his arms, "Now all we must do is make sure that no one interrupts us; which shouldn't be a problem anymore."

"Uh, I hate to tell you this sir…" Warpath begins as he looks at a small blip on a screen, "…But we've got company!"

Wing jumps from his seat without a word and races over to Warpath's side. "Who is it this time?"

"That's the strange part…" Warpath begins, "…He's a Predacon; but I barely recognized his energy signature."

"Why's that?" Wing asks. "Because…" Warpath begins, "…he's changed since we last met him."

Back with Tarantulas…

Tarantulas launches the fireball at Oracle like a missile, only to witness her stop it in mid air.

"WHAT?" Tarantulas yells. "I warned you…" she begins as she changes heads back into her old head, "…You should have just left us alone!"

She blows up the fireball; and swirls her arms around as she summons rocks out of the surrounding landscape and merges them together into an enormous Vok head and sends it slamming into Tarantulas.

The force of the impact causes him to stumble and fall backwards; stumbling over the edge of the cliff behind him.

She walks towards the edge of the cliff and peers down it to see no sign of Tarantulas, only a molten river of lava far below.

Just then a claw grabs her cloak and pulls her down; sending her carening down towards the molten river.

"No Vok will ever beat me!" Tarantulas cackles as he hangs onto the edge of the cliff by his other claw.

Oracle free-falls towards the lava but manages to catch herself in mid-air and shoot up like a rocket towards Tarantulas. She slams through the cliff's edge; taking Tarantulas with her as she tunnels through the rock and bursts out the top.

Like a rag-doll; she tosses him into the air and summons lightning bolts to arc out of the sky to strike him. But he stops himself in mid flight and forces the lightning bolts to enter his hands; racing across his body with frightening speed.

"Now, DIE!" Tarantulas screams as he fires a streak of super-charged lightning out his hand and knocks Oracle out of the sky; smashing her into the rocks below.

She quickly rises and concentrates her energy; causing the protruding rocks around her to crumble and merge togetherand form large spears which she hurls at Tarantulas at full force.

He dodges most of them and generates a shield of pure energy around himself to deflect and destroy the others. "It'll take more than that to stop me; fool!" Tarantulas cackles as he arches his back and goes into a power dive.

Oracle summons her powers and creates a bubble around herself. Tarantulas dives and slams into her shield; generating a massive explosion that disintegrates the ground below them and echoes out to create a gigantic crater.

They both slowly rise to their feet; apparently damaged from the mind-boggling explosion. "Just give it up…it'll make your death much less painful…" Tarantulas mocks. "Never! You are the killer of my brethern and releaser of our worst enemy. You must perish for your crimes!" Oracle bellows as she changes heads again; back into her evil Quintesson head.

They charge at each other; each leaping into the air as they draw closer to one another and collide with an epic mid-air punch. A super-charged cloud of dust, dirt, and debris race out from the point the two met like a nuclear bombwith an eerie and empty silence; followed shortly bythe deafening roar of ear-piercing screams and explosions.

A powerfulsilence falls upon the valley as both combatants lie motionless miles apart; blown clear across the valley in opposite directions by the unfathomable force of the blast.

Elsewhere…

"At long last I shall have my vengance upon those fools!" Starscream bellows as he stand outside the mountain; staring out across the peaceful surroundings.

"_You _shall have _your _vengance?" a voice states from within him. "You!" He mutters in shock.

Deep inside his mind, he stands alone inside a dark room. He sees a lone mirror; and when he walks up to it he sees another bot staring back at him; grinning evilly.

The mirror suddenly shatters; and Starscream grabs his head in frustration. "Why couldn't you just keep quiet and leave everything to me?" he screams.

"Because…" a figure states, silhouetted as it strolls towards him. Energon waves ripple across its body as the figure draws closer to him; and emerges into the light, "…I'm not one to just sit back and watch someone else take all the glory!"

"I saved you! I joined you because we shared a common goal; the destruction of Megatron!" Starscream proclaims. "No, all you did was occupy my damaged body…" the figure states, "…And the Megatron you wish to destroy is not the same one as I want to!"

"Well, since I've got my old body back; thanks to me being back in time before they changed the access codes to the Ark…" Starscream begins, "…I guess I really don't need you anymore, Transmetal Terrorsaur!"

"So, alas, the mighty Starscream shows his true face…" Terrorsaur grins as he grabs his wing scythes, "…we'll let's just see who's the mighty one now!"

Elsewhere…

A sleek silver jet cruises through the air; racing upon the still downed Providus.

"Megatron's energy signature left a trace here…he must be nearby!" the jet states.

"If that Predacon is who you say he is…" Wing begins, staring out of the windshield at the incoming jet, "…then destroy him!"

The gun platforms on the Providus rise up and extend; targeting the incoming jet in their crosshairs. Before it has a chance to react; the jet is bombarded by a wave of laser blasts; sending it crashing to the ground in a trail of smoke and ash.

"Excellent! Now go out there and make sure he stays down!" Wing commands as Snarl and Warpath grab their weapons and race out of the Providus.

The jet twitches on the ground; it's sleek shiny metal body reflecting the sunlight off of its smooth surface. "I don't think he's dead yet…" Snarl states, as they both hold their weapons defensively in front of them.

"SCORPONOK…TERRORIZE!" The jet screams as it transforms into a large robot.

"By the skidplate of Primus himself!" Wing mutters in shock inside the ship, "It really is him!"

Scorponok raises his arms and opens fire upon the two Maximals as they roll out of the line of fire. "I have no time for you Maximals; I must find Megatron!"

"Go tell someone who cares; criminal scum!" Warpath growls as he folds down a cannon from his back, connects it to his underarm and fires a missile at Scorponok.

The missile hits him; but as the dust clears he remains standing. "Get out of my way!" Scorponok screams as he fires at Warpath; landing a couple of hits.

Just then Snarl tackles him from behind and wrestles him to the ground. But as Snarl reaches for his sword, Scorponok squeezes his leg in-between them and shoves him off.

Scorponok quickly rises to his feet and grabs a pair of swords from his back. "Tell me where Megatron is or else!" he demands.

"Buzz off jet boy!" Snarl retorts as he charges at him again; only to be struck across the back by one of Scorponok's blades as he jumps into the air and dodges Snarl.

Snarl collapses and skids across the ground as Warpath fires another missile at Scorponok; landing a direct hit and sending him flying back into some nearby rocks.

"Fine! If you Maximals won't tell me where he is; I guess I'll have to find him myself then!" Scorponok yells as he begins to run away.

"Beast mode!" he screams first as he transforms into a scorpion, followed by, "Flight mode!" as he transforms into a reverse-wing jet and zooms off into the distance.

Warpath retracts his cannon onto his back and helps Snarl to his feet. "Man; he sure has become powerful…more powerful than I remember." Snarl mutters. "Yeah; but his agenda hasn't. He's still mindlessly loyal to Megatron." Warpath comments as they both walk back towards the ship.

Back with Starscream; deep inside his mind…

"After that quantum surge that hit our ship; I collided with Scorponok and fell into the lava. They all thought I died…but I was only severely damaged; and in stasis-lock. But then a strange alien being named Tigerhawk came from the sky and destroyed the Darkside, or so Tarantulas told me. That rewoke us; and we managed to crawl out of the lava without anyone noticing. Scorponok went off to find Megatron; only to find Unicron, and a new master, instead. We were both damaged, but he was repaired by Unicron; whereas I wasn't. But then you decided to come back; even after Blackarachnia destroyed you when you possessed Waspinator's body. You possessed my body; and we had a pact; an agreement. I would find Tarantulas and get us a new body; and you would find a way to destroy our enemies!" Terrorsaur explains.

"Thanks for the history lesson…" Starscream remarks sarcastically, "…But what's the point?" "We had an agreement! We would work together; as partners!" Terrorsaur screams.

"And now we have a new agreement!" Starscream exclaims, "Either you obey my every command or I destroy you here and now!"

"You coward! I should have never trusted you!" Terrorsaur growls as he throws his wing scythes at Starscream.

Starscream raises his arms and shoots them out of the air; and aims his null-ray cannons at Terrorsaur, "You should have stayed dead!"

And with that he fires both cannons at Terrorsaur; causing Terrorsaur to howl in unbearable pain as his already weaken body begins to shatter and break apart.

Suddenly Terrorsaur blows up; and his spark disintegrates into particles of energy.

"Finally…" Starscream mutters as he reactivates and looks around through his real body again, "…I'm rid of that annoying Terrorsaur! Now to visit some of my old comrades!"

He runs across the ground and transforms into his jet mode; his transformation bearing the sound of a first generation Decepticon.

Meanwhile…

"Well; at least ol' Wing Convoy is gone!" Rattrap comments as he and the other Maximals walk together along the ground.

"And good riddance! He was a vile corrupt leader back on Cybertron; and he was still even here on Earth." Dinobus grumbles as he carries Rhinox's body. "You got that right, Dino-butt!" Rattrap laughs.

"Wait!" Optimus suddenly shouts as he stops. The others stop behind him. "What is it?" Blackarachnia asks, as she and Cheetor carry Silverbolt's body.

"Someone's…coming…" Optimus states as he senses someone approaching them from just over the horizon.

"Who?" Blackarachnia asks. "I'm not sure…but I think they're our friends." Optimus states as he starts walking again.

"And what makes you so sure?" Rattrap remarks. "Pipe down! We shouldn't doubt Optimus; no matter what." Cheetor attacks with his words, leaving Rattrap only to shake his head in confusion.

"Optimus?" A voice calls out from afar. "That voice…I know it…" Optimus begins.

"That sounded like…" Rattrap begins, "…But it can't be. He's dead!"

"Look!" Dinobus calls out as they see the shapes of three robots coming towards them; one with its arms slung over the shoulders of the other two.

"Optimus…is that you?" One of the bots calls out. "By the code of Primus; it is them! Tigatron and Airazor!" Optimus cries out.

All the Maximals stare out in wonder as they see Tigatron and Airazor rush towards them; moving as fast as they can as they support Depth Charge's body.

"Am I glad to see you!" Rattrap yells as he transforms and gives Tigatron a hug. Tigatron laughs lightly as Airazor sets Depth Charge's body down.

"So I see that you overpowered the Vok that possessed you guys?" Cheetor comments. "Well, not exactly. I don't remember everything; but I had flashes of memory now and then. I recall Airazor and I merging into Tigerhawk and facing off against the Nemesis. Then we died; and all I remember is a Vok head racing towards us; and separating us. I recently remembered seeing Tarantulas; but he looked…different. He destroyed the Vok inside us; and then I awoke…looking like this." Tigatron explains.

"Yep, that's pretty much what I remember too." Airazor comments. "So, we have ol' tall, dark and gruesome to thank for bringing you guys back?" Blackarachnia asks. "I guess you could say that." Airazor smiles.

"What happened to Depth Charge?" Optimus asks, noticing him lying motionless on the ground. "He went into stasis-lock after a battle with Rampage. He killed Rampage; but he made an eternal enemy in the process I'm afraid…" Tigatron explains.

"How so?" Dinobus asks. "I'll explain later. Right now we need to get him to a C.R. chamber as soon as possible; or else he may die!" Tigatron states.

"Well…" Optimus begins as he peers over his shoulder in the direction of the Providus, "…Wing Convoy destroyed his ship and himself; and our only repair chamber."

"Hey!" Cheetor brightens up suddenly. "What?" Optimus asks as they all turn to face him. "What about the Autobot shuttle that we crashed back to Earth in. That has stasis-pods in it; and those have regenerative sub-programs built-in! Couldn't we…"

"That's it Cheetor!" Optimus proclaims. "Then it's settled. Lead the way back to the shuttle; we will follow." Tigatron states as the group begins to move in a new direction, towards the area Optimus remembers the shuttle going down in.

But at the site of the downed shuttle…

"I'm afraid I've got some bad news, and some worse news Megatron." Gigatron begins.

"Blast it all!" Megatron screams in anger, "What's happened now?"

"Nothing…" Gigatron begins, "…It's just that the ship is stuck deep in the ground. I'm afraid I can'tdig it out and free it."

"And that's just the bad news?" Megatron mutters in shock. "Yeah. The worse news is that most of the stasis pods were cracked in the crash. Only 5 are still in operational condition; and of those 5; only 4 contain functional protoforms!" Gigatron mutters in sadness.

"Bah!" Megatron screams as he smacks Gigatron; knocking him to the ground.

Just then he hears a noise behind him; and turns to see a small bot emerge out of the nearby brush.

"And just who might you be?" Megatron asks. "My name is Dreadnought; and I need your help." She states.

"My help?" Megatron asks in puzzlement, "Do you have any clue as to who I am?"

"No, but you bear the Predacon insignia. And since I'm a Predacon as well; I was wondering if you could help me." Dreadnought asks.

"Help you how?" Megatron queries. "You see…there's this guy. He was killed fighting his arch rival recently; and I was wondering if you could help me bring him back."

"And whom might his guy be?" Megatron asks. "I'm sure it's no one you've ever heard of; but his name was Rampage." Dreadnought states.

"WHAT? RAMPAGE SURVIVED?" Megatron screams. "You know him?" Dreadnought asks.

"Of course I know him! Where is he?" Megatron demands. Dreadnought points to the bushes; and Megatron runs over there; followed by the limping Gigatron.

Megatron gasps as he sees the body of Rampage; lifeless with a giant hole in his chest.

"Eee…looks like he's seen better days." Gigatron comments quietly.

"What happened to him?" Megatron asks as he examines Rampage's body. "He was fighting his nemesis when he was killed; some guy named Depth Charge." Dreadnought begins. "DEPTH CHARGE? So he survived as well?" Megatron interrupts. "Yeah…anyway, like I was saying, he needed Depth Charge's spark to survive. His own spark had been cut in half by some low-life meanie named Megatron; and when the Vok brought him back; his spark was incomplete from the destruction of his half-brother Dinobot."

Megatron growls a little, but then stops when he sees the sadness in her face. "He was like a father to me. If he hadn't saved mewhen I was insidethat damaged stasis-pod; I would have died! He shouldn't have died; he was a good bot! I loved him so much!" Dreadnought cries out as she lightly touches his body.

"Can you bring back his spark? Can you save him?" Dreadnought pleads.

"Um…" Megatron begins, "Well, you see, once a bot dies; they, under normal circumstances, can not be brought back. I'm afraid that he's gone now and hasjoined the Matrix."

"Nooooo! It can't be true!" Dreadnought cries out.

Megatron sighs, "I'm sorry." He turns to look at Gigatron; who also hangs his head in sadness.

"But I have a plan…and if you help me with it I can make sure that you see him again." Megatron states.

"Huh?" Dreadnought asks as she sniffles a little. "You see; I have been given a task from a very important entity called the Oracle of Cybertron; to unite all the sparks into one again! I can access the Matrix at that point; and I can bring back Rampage for you…" Megatron coolly explains.

"Really?" Dreadnought smiles. "Yes; it is true," Megatron smirks, "Will you help me reach that goal?"

"Of course! Anything to get my father back!" Dreadnought smiles as she shakes Megatron's hand; and Megatron smiles down at her slyly.

Meanwhile, at the Antgony…

"Sir! We've got an incoming flier!" Six-Shot reports to MegaZarak.

"Really? I hope it's not that annoying Fenrir again." MegaZarak grimaces.

"It's…it's…" Six-Shot stutters;his jaw droppingin shock."What?" MegaZarak asks as Skar and Myrimidon enter the room.

"It's a Decepticon!" Six-Shot mutters in puzzlement.

Without a moment's hesitation; they quickly exit the ship and rush outside to watch for the incoming bot.

"Maybe we should try a hailing frequency?" Myrimidon asks. "Good idea. Hail the incoming Decepticon; and tell him who we are." MegaZarak commands as Six-Shot opens a panel on his arm.

"Greetings fellow Decepticon. My name is Six-Shot; and I am under the command of MegaZarak. He, I, Skar, and Myrimidon are the crew of the Antagony; back-up ship for the Decepticon flagship, the Nemesis. Who are you?" Six-Shot says into his communicator.

"I said tell him who we are; not give him a history lesson…" MegaZarak frowns.

"Oh; there's no need to give me a history lesson; my old comrades…" a high-pitched voice replies over Six-Shot's communicator.

All of a sudden they see a giant jet zoom in almost out of nowhere and transform into a towering white robot.

"I was once trapped in the body of Fenrir; but now I'm free. I'm sure you all remember me," he states as he points his null-ray cannon at MegaZarak's head, "I'm Air Commander Starscream; 2nd in Command of the Decepticons on board the Nemesis!"

Back with Tarantulas…

"Ohhh…" Oracle mutters as she slowly rises to her feet; her body smoldering as she stands up.

She looks up to see someone in front of her. "Hehehehe…I knew you were no match for me." Tarantulas laughs as he uses his powers to lift Oracle into the air in front of him.

She grabs at her throat as Tarantulas begins to choke her with his powers. "Die already!" Tarantulas screams as he hurls her back with all of his power into anearby mountain; causing it to crumble on top of her.

He lets out a loud sigh and walks away when suddenly a massive fleet of rockszoomthrough the air andsmash into him; ripping pieces and parts of him clear off of his body.

He risesslowly and turns to see Oracle floating through the air; a bubble of pure energy surrounding her.

Before he even has a chance to move; she crosses thedistance separating them in less than a second and plows into him. Hemoans in pain as he hearshis body crack under the pressure.

She slams him into the ground; grinding his body against the diamond-like rocks that line the valley floor.

"It's time for you to experience the full fury of the Vok!" Oracle bellows; hovering over the severely damaged Tarantulas. He turns his head slowly to look at her; wires and connections snapping and popping as he moves.

She rises up and summons a tornado to finish him off. He sees the funnel cloud begin to form; and hesummons all of his remaining strength to stand to his feet. And as she unleashes the tornado upon him; he counters by causing the ground to form a wall around the tornado and summons a mass of energy into two giant fists and begins to beat Oracle senseless.

He hits her again and again; shattering her body like a piece of brittle clay. And with one final punch he sends her over the edge of the cliff and into the molten river below.

He watches as the lava eats away at her body; and she dies slowly and painfully as her body dissipates and disappears in the lava.

"I can not be defeated!" He proclaims as he shakes his fist in triumph high above the molten river on the cliff's edge, "I am Tarantulas, and I am…"

Suddenly he gasps for air; unable to breathe. His body begins to shake and malfuction and he collapses backwards to the ground. His systems start to shut down as his head falls limp and he too dies; and all goes silent in the destroyed and burning valley.

**Author's Notes:**

Tarantulas and Oracle are dead! Terrorsaur is dead! Scorponok is back; and so is Starscream! Dreadnought has joined Megatron in his insane master plan!

What will happen next? What will Megatron do with the stasis pods; and will Optimus reach him in time to stop him and retrieve the sparks of the protoform Maximals and his old comrades? Will Depth Charge survive? Will Starscream kill all of his old comrades from the Antagony?

Keep watching…


	20. Episode 72: The Gathering Squall

**'Myth Wars': Episode 72: "The Gathering Squall":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

"STARSCREAM? It can't be!" MegaZarak stammers in shock as he stares up the barrel of Starscream's null-ray cannon.

"And why can't it be, old friend?" Starscream grins. MegaZarak stares up at him blankly; unsure of what to say.

"We've got to do something!" Myrimidon pleads. "And just what do you propose we do exactly? He's a slaggin' Cybertronian Space Jet!" Six-Shot comments sarcastically.

The four Predacons stand defiantly against the towering white robot; each waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Why do you want to fight us?" MegaZarak asks, breaking the long silence. "Because you were supposed to be our back-up when we attacked the Ark; but instead you stayed back and did nothing while the Nemesis was damaged so severely that we had to crash land on this mudball!" Starscream exclaims.

"I've waited a long time to get vengeance upon you and your crew MegaZarak…" Starscream coldly begins as he charges his cannon, "…And at very long last you will pay!"

Elsewhere…

Dreadnought pushes a large sculpted rock into the ground while Megatron and Gigatron watch from a short distance away.

"There…it's done." She states as she rises to her feet and backs away towards the two larger bots.

"It looks…very nice…" Megatron comments as he tries to be polite. "Yeah; nice. It looks very nice." Gigatron chimes in with an awkward smile.

Dreadnought smiles as they all stare at the tombstone marking the grave of Rampage.

Megatron is the first to move; turning from the grave after a few moments of silence; followed by Gigatron. Dreadnought stays behind a moment longer; reading the Cybertronian text scrawled into the face of the tombstone.

"So, what are we going to do with her?" Gigatron asks as the two bots make their way back towards the Autobot shuttle. "I'm sure that with the right direction she will serve our goals well…" Megatron grins.

Gigatron; still limping but not as much as before; makes his way over to the underbelly of the ship; sticking out of the ground partially.

"So…how did exactly did you expect me to get inside there?" Gigatron frowns.

"Well…it would appear that things have changed…" Megatron begins as he turns to see Dreadnought walk over towards him.

"Dreadnought, my dear, I have a most important task for you…" Megatron smiles.

"What's that?" She asks happily. "I need you to get inside that ship over there and remove the stasis pods from within it for us." Megatron explains.

"Stasis pods? You mean there are others like…me?" She asks in wonder. "Yes; more just like you. Gigatron's badly injured and he can't get them out by himself anymore. We need your help to…rescue them." Megatron coolly tells her.

With a silent nod; she walks over to the shuttle and hops onto the top of the hull. She slowly climbs her way up the hull; and makes her way to the back of the ship. She pauses only for a brief moment to look inside before hopping into the ship.

She skids down the slick floor and barely manages to stop herself mere inches from the windshield; which is buried in the ground.

"Beast mode!" Megatron bellows as he transforms and takes off into the air.

"Did you find the pods?" Megatron asks as he peers into the ship through the back entrance. He sees Dreadnought inside; climbing her way to the back of the ship by using the seats as handholds.

"Yes, I see them!" Dreadnought states as she reaches the rear section of the ship and sees the pods jumbled against the hull of the ship.

"Excellent…then it's only a matter of time…" Megatron grins evilly.

Elsewhere…

"There! It's done!" Nemesis states as she looks over her work one final time.

Before her is the damaged body of Waspinator; lying inside an empty stasis pod with wires and lines hooked up to his chassis.

She sighs to herself as she slowly closes the lid of the stasis pod; looking down at Waspinator as she does.

"This had better work…" she comments quietly as she walks over the ship's controls.

A long cord extending from the ship's computer connects to the pod and begins to glow as she pulls a control lever on the dashboard. Soon the ship's interior lights begin to dim as the power is diverted to the stasis pod.

A few moments later the pod's onboard computer opens up. "_Replication program accepted. Beginning regeneration process_." The computer states as it begins to glow and shake violently.

Nemesis digs her fingers into the pilot's chair with anticipation as she stands next to it; watching the pod shake and rattle against the metal floor of the ship.

Soon the shaking stops; and a loud poof noise alerts her that the process is done. As she makes her way towards the ship, the pod hatch pops open and smoke pours out of the inside of the pod.

Waving away the smoke with her arms; she peers into the pod.

"Yes! By the great smelter it worked!" She yells in triumph as she sees the regenerated body of Waspinator lying inside the pod; with no signs of damage anywhere.

"Hmm…" she thinks to herself out loud, "…that's one problem down. Thanks to that loud mouth Gigatron leaving his com channel open; I now know that the spark capture device that Megatron has still has his spark in it. Getting it; now that's going to be the hard part!"

Meanwhile…

"You know; I was thinking about something Optimus…" Cheetor states as he strolls up to Optimus who's walking ahead of the group with Dinobus Prime.

"What's that Cheetor?" Optimus asks. "I know now that Megatron stole the sparks of Waspinator, Silverbolt and Rhinox; and that we have to get them back. But Rattrap asked me something; something I couldn't really answer…"

"And that is?" Optimus queries. "Well…he asked me why didn't we go after him?" Cheetor wryly states.

Optimus sighs as Dinobus silently listens. "It's hard to explain Cheetor…I guess the easiest way to put it is that I didn't feel it was time. The Oracle opened my eyes to a lot of things I never noticed before…" Optimus trails off.

Cheetor pauses for a moment; then nods his head in agreement. "That's good enough for me." He states.

"Hmm…" Dinobus interludes, "…does Megatron know about the shuttle?"

"What?" Optimus and Cheetor asks simultaneously.

"I mean does he know about the stasis pods inside the ship," Dinobus begins, "Because if he does; he could turn those protoforms into Predacons…"

Optimus's face goes blank as he stops dead in his tracks. Cheetor and Dinobus notice this and stop a moment later.

"By Primus no! How could I have been so blind!" Optimus cries out.

"Don't blame yourself Bigbot!" Cheetor states, "We got distracted by the Antagony and Wing Convoy. We were going to go back; we just got sidetracked. Besides; it isn't like Megatron's there reprogramming the protoforms at this very moment."

Meanwhile; at that very moment at the shuttle…

"A little further down!" Gigatron calls out as he directs Megatron to lower one of the pods down towards him as Megatron clutches the pod in his mouth.

"He's got it!" Dreadnought calls out as she sees Gigatron grab the pod. Megatron releases it; causing Gigatron to stumble from the sudden shift in weight and fall backwards.

"Whew! That was a close one!" Dreadnought comments as she sees the pod land rather softly on the ground next to Gigatron, not far from 4 other stasis pods.

Gigatron shakes his head a little as he sits up and watches Megatron transform and land near him and the pod.

"Well, what do we do now?" Gigatron asks. He looks at the ship and sees Dreadnought crawl out and hop onto the ground.

"Now, we get these pods online…" Megatron smiles as he opens up one the pod's onboard computers, "…We have some new Predacon allies to welcome into the Beast Wars!"

Elsewhere…

Starscream laughs with delight as he fires a shot directly over MegaZarak's head.

"Slag! My targeting system must be clogged!" Starscream comments in shock.

"Heh…should have run a systems diagnostic before ya came after us!" Myrimidon laughs, "A few million years in stasis lock can cause a bot to collect a lot of dust!"

"All Decepticons…OPEN FIRE!" MegaZarak commands as they all draw their weapons and begin firing upon Starscream.

"Fools! You're still no match for me!" Starscream proclaims in defiance as he transforms into jet mode and takes off into the sky.

A few moments later; they see him power-dive out of the sky directly towards them; blasters firing.

They run and take cover behind some nearby snow covered rocks as they return fire.

"Skar!" MegaZarak calls out. Skar turns and looks at MegaZarak. "I need you to make sure that Starscream doesn't damage the Antagony! It's ready for flight again; and I'm going to make sure it says that way!"

Skar nods in agreement and returns to firing upon Starscream with his shoulder cannon. MegaZarak uses the diversion to run off towards the ship.

Starscream zooms just inches over them as he ascends back into the sky and makes another pass at the Predacons from a different angle.

He rapid-fire cannons manage to land a hit on Myrimidon; knocking him to the ground.

"Blast it all! Myrimidon's down!" Six-Shot growls. Skar looks over at him, his expression stern.

"Where'd MegaZarak go?" Six-Shot suddenly states as he looks around to see no sign of MegaZarak anywhere.

Just then; the ground begins to shake so violently that the snow begins to break off of the side of the mountain and avalanche down to the valley far below.

"What's happening?" Starscream yells in shock as he transforms and hovers in mid air a few hundred feet above the Predacons.

He looks down and sees the Antagony's gun platforms extend out and target their cannons at him. "Ah slag…" he states as a wave of laser fire plows into him; knocking him out of the air and into a downward spiral.

Six-Shot and Skar watch as Starscream spirals down and slams into the side of the mountain just about 30 feet below their position.

Suddenly Six-Shot and Skar look down at their wrists as they flip up their communicators. "We're moving out Decepticons!" a voice calls out in triumph over the intercom.

"MEGAZARAK!" Six-Shot calls out with happiness. "Get Myrimidon inside the ship…Starscream's finished. We have other business to attend to!" MegaZarak states over the intercom.

"Other business?" Six-Shot questions. "Yes…" MegaZarak begins, "…The Providus!"

Six-Shot and Skar grab Myrimidon and struggle to drag his heavy chassis back to the loading ramp at the rear of the ship.

As soon as they manage to get him onboard; MegaZarak pushes a lever up and the ramp in the back of the ship rises up and closes shut with a loud thud.

MegaZarak sits at the controls as Six-Shot and Skar join him inside the main control room and take their seats.

"Now…onward!" MegaZarak states as he pushes the throttle forward and pulls back on another lever; and the Antagony's underside thrusters kick in.

Clouds of snow fan out from the ground as the ship slowly rises up off of the mountain top and into the air once again.

The Antagony's rear engines ignite as the ship takes off towards the Providus.

Meanwhile, down the side of the mountain…

"Well, well, looky here!" a voice states.

Starscream looks around in confusion; unaware of his surroundings.

He sees a shadowy figure approach him. "What's going on here? Why am I back inside this void?" Starscream yells in confusion.

"I'm inside your mind…or should I say, I'm back inside mine!" the figure states as he enters the light.

"You're…me?" Starscream screams as he sees himself walking towards him.

"No…I'm you from the past; the spark you so carelessly kicked out of my body inside the Ark!" the other Starscream screams in anger.

"What?" Starscream exclaims in shock. "Did you think I'd just let you take _my_ body so easily?" The other Starscream bellows with hate.

Without a moment's hesitation; he fires a shot directly into the confused Starscream's head; causing him to shake violently as his body begins to malfunction and break apart.

"Nooooo! I was so close to victory!" Starscream cries out as his body is literally torn apart as he watches helplessly.

"This is my body…no one takes that from me, not even me!" The other Starscream growls as he watches the other Starscream crumble into a pile of parts and ash.

In the real world, the spark of the future Starscream; the one that had been in the Beast Wars and with Fenrir; blasts out of Starscream's body and straight out of the atmosphere and into interstellar space…

Back on Earth, the original Starscream activates his original body and tries to stand up; only to fall down again and slide down the mountain helplessly.

"Slag!" He screams as he rises slowly on the ground far below a few minutes later, "It looks like my future counterpart really damaged my body…I need to get back to the Ark for repairs!"

He transforms into his space jet mode since he hasn't been given his earthen form yet and flies back towards Mt. St. Hilary.

Once there, he lands and makes his way into the ship; using the unchanged command codes stored within his databanks.

"_INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!_" Teletran-1 alerts as Starscream enters the main room of the Ark. "What? I must have activated Teletran-1 when I opened the doors!" Starscream announces in stark realization at what just happened.

Suddenly beams of electricity jut out of the ship and zap Starscream; causing him to collapse and fall to the ground. He slumps over and goes offline and back into emergency stasis lock again.

Meanwhile, a couple of tiny maintenance bots scurry out of a side panel and shovel the sparkless chassis of Fenrir into a waste disposal unit; and compress his body into a small energon cube; which the ship quickly absorbs into itself before closing the panel and going offline for the next couple hundred years…

Back at the Providus…

Wing Convoy reclines in the pilot's chair; snoring like a freight train when the ship's sirens start to blare; jolting him out of his sleep.

"What's happening?" He asks, shaking the sleep off a little.

"Sir! Code 1 Emergency! We're under heavy attack!" Snarl screams as he enters the room; running at full speed and skidding to a halt.

"Who is it this time? Primal? Scorponok again?" Wing asks as he rises to his feet.

"No…" Snarl begins as his face shows the sheer terror that his voice echoes, "…It's the Antagony! They've raised her!"

Wing's jaw drops in shock as he sits back down. "By the skidplate of Primus himself; they really did it!" He comments with a slight note of terror. He sits there silent for a moment; unsure of what to say.

"It's time." He finally states as he begins tapping keys on the ship's controls.

Snarl nods and races off towards one of the chairs in the control room and brings up a targeting system for the ship's guns. Warpath enters the room and takes his position.

Outside, the Antagony hovers not far from the ship; opening a row of compartments with cluster bombs inside. The bombs launch in sequence; screaming as they tear through the air and slam into the shields of the Providus.

"Take them out…take them all out! No one survives!" MegaZarak commands as Six-Shot pushes buttons on the control panel; firing cluster bomb groups one after the other at the helpless Providus below.

"We will not go quietly into the night, Decepticons! It's time for you to feel the full might and fury of what this ship has to offer!" Wing screams as he presses a button.

Deep inside the ship's engines, a row of crystals vibrate as power surges through them and a series of dings emanate from them. The giant turbine inside the ship's engine begins to rotate; slowly at first but growing in speed as waves of electricity pass over the outside of the engine in faster and faster passes.

Outside the ship, the rear engines ignite one at a time; in loud and explosive clouds of smoke.

The ground shakes and crumbles as the ship begins to move forward; scraping against the ground as it begins to gain momentum and lift off of the ground.

"Now Decepti-creeps…" Wing Convoy begins as he targets the Antagony in front of the windshield, "…Let's see what you're made of!"

While this all was transpiring…

"_Scanning for life forms…_" The onboard computers on the four protoform-filled stasis pods state in unison as scanning towers emerge out of each one and gold-colored waves fan out from the balls on top of the scanning towers.

"YES! AT LONG LAST; THE PROTOFORMS ARE MINE!" Megatron cries out as he watches the waves scan the nearby lake and surrounding region for life forms.

Soon, the towers retract into the ship and light pours out of the closed stasis pods as the bots inside are reformatted.

A layer of smoke covers the ground as Megatron, Gigatron and Dreadnought walk towards the pods; now with the lids open and smoke pouring out and onto the ground like fog.

"Yeeesss…oh yessss!" Megatron screams as he sees the bots climb out of the pods and look around at their surroundings.

Just then a noise catches his attention, and he turns to see Optimus and Dinobus appear a short distance away.

"BY PRIMUS NO! WE'RE TOO LATE!" Optimus screams as he sees the new Predacons stand behind Megatron, Gigatron and Dreadnought.

"So, we meet again!" Dinobus sneers as he sees his former commander stand with the spark capture device his hand.

"Dinobot?" Megatron shouts in amazement as he recognizes the voice.

"She's here too!" Airazor shouts as she sees Dreadnought.

"Quickly! You two get Depth Charge out of here and to the ship! We need to get him back online; NOW!" Optimus commands as he points to the downed ship.

"I think it's time for you all to transform!" Gigatron states as he looks at the new bots behind him.

"Alright..." One of them states, clad in a partially Transmetallized beast mode.

"Sky-Byte…TERRORIZE!" One of them screams as he transforms from a shark into a robot with a rotating claw arm and double-barreled cannon.

"Dark Scream….TERRORIZE!" Another one screams as he transforms from a flying squirrel and into a robot; drawing his sword.

"Gas Skunk…TERRORIZE!" The next bot screams; transforming from a skunk into his robot mode.

"Slapper…TERRORIZE!" The last bot screams, as he transforms from a toad into his robot mode.

"Well Optimus Primal..." Megatron begins as he stands before his new army, "…I'd say you picked a lovely spot…for your burial ground!"

Optimus stares back at them; as the others assume a battle stance. "If anyone's getting buried here; it's going to be you!" Optimus growls back.

Megatron grins as his troops all draw their weapons, and he laughs a little with sheer pleasure; "OBLITERATE THEM!"

**Author's Notes:**

The stage is set!

Optimus and his men versus Megatron and his new army!

The Antagony versus the Providus in an all out battle!

What will happen next?

Find out in the shocking and monumental 3-part conclusion!


	21. Episode 73: The Final Assualt, Pt 1

**'Myth Wars': Episode 73: "The Final Assault: Part 1: Flight of the Antagony: Part 2": **

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

"As the wars rage on, the combatants grow weary,  
And their eternal battle begins yet anew;  
But now the time has come to face it all so clearly,  
And in draws the time for the few…"

Sky-Byte poetically states as he watches the Predacons all run towards the Maximals; their weapons drawn and in full combat mode.

Megatron clears his throat loudly; causing Sky-Byte to flinch in shock. "If I wanted a poetic quote; I'd read the Covenant of Primus again!" he sneers as Sky-Byte looks around sheepishly.

"Well…what are you waiting for?" Gigatron growls at him, "GET OUT THERE AND FIGHT!"

Sky-Byte reluctantly grabs his blaster and races out onto the battlefield, leaving Megatron and Gigatron standing alone.

"Now Gigatron, since you still have not recovered from your encounter with Nemesis…" Megatron begins as Gigatron turns to face him, "…I have a most important mission for you!"

Meanwhile, on the battlefield…

Dinobus Prime sets down Rhinox's body in a safe place a short distance away from the battlefield behind some rocks and races; followed closely by Blackarachnia and Cheetor with Silverbolt's body.

"We'll try to find a stasis pod for Depth Charge." Tigatron states to Dinobus. "Yes. With the information that Optimus and I have given you; you should be able to fix him up and reactivate him." Dinobus replies. "We'll do our best. Just keep the Preds occupied for us!" Airazor comments.

They all turn around to see the battle just beginning as the Predacons collide into the wall of Maximals.

"I hardly believe that'll be a problem..." Dinobus mutters as he extracts both of his swords.

He, Cheetor and Blackarachnia rush back towards the battlefield as Tigatron and Airazor carry Depth Charge off. Dreadnought turns and sees the three Maximals racing towards the battlefield.

Dreadnought fires a flurry of blasts at Dinobus as he rushes headlong towards her; deflecting the blasts with his swords.

He leaps into the air and with one mighty swing slices Dreadnought's gun in half. She watches in shock as her gun cracks and falls to the ground.

"Well...so much for chivalry." Dreadnought mutters sarcastically as she delivers a roundhouse kick to Dinobus's chest.

Not far off; Rattrap blasts away at Slapper when he senses something behind him. He turns to see Dark Scream sneaking up on him with his sword in his hand ready to strike.

"Thought you could sneak up on me, eh?" Rattrap comments as he whips out his tail sword and swings at Dark Scream. Quick to react; Dark Scream swings back and their swords collide violently, knocking both of them off balance.

Dark Scream quickly gets up and runs towards him; pointing his sword directly at Rattrap's stomach; but Rattrap ducks down and trips him; sending him into a face first nose dive into the ground.

"Hehe...didn't expect that, did ya?" Rattrap laughs mockingly to himself.

A few miles away...

The Antagony hovers a few hundred feet in front of the now airborne Providus as Wing Convoy aligns the crosshairs on the ship.

"You think you got what it takes to face _me_?" Wing Convoy growls as he pushes a button and fires a series of lasers at the mighty Antagony.

"Sir! We've got incoming laser fire off the port side!" Six-Shot screams as he watches the lasers streak through the air towards them. A matter of seconds later they slam into the shields; rocking the ship as the crew braces themselves in their seats.

"Return fire!" MegaZarak bellows; "No Autobot-wannabes will ever defeat a Decepticon; not as long as I am in command!"

A row of panels open and clusters of cannons extend out of the ship. A wave of rockets launch from the cannons and scream through the air in a cloud of smoke.

"Wow...now that's a lot of firepower!" Warpath comments to himself as he braces for impact.

The rockets slam into the Providus's shields with so much force it actually causes the ship to lose altitude and plummet towards the ground.

Wing Convoy quickly reacts and manages to pull the ship out of the nosedive. He expertly maneuvers the ship and realigns the guns at the Antagony; now attacking it from below.

He opens a group of top-side cannons and fires; sending laser blasts slamming into the shields.

"Shield power at 50 percent sir!" Myrimidon calls out. MegaZarak sneers at little as he pilots the ship into a nosedive towards the Providus.

"By the skidplate of Primus himself! What is he doing?" Wing Convoy mutters as he watches the giant Decepticon warship dive directly at him.

"Brace yourselves! He's attempting to ram us!" Wing screams as he realizes what's happening and activates the forward thrusters.

The G-Forces nail the crew of the Providus to their seats as they try to escape the Antagony; but their shield's scrape against the Antagony's.

An ear-piercing squeal fills the air as the Providus's shields pop and fizzle from the pressure.

"Oh slaaaagggg!" Snarl cries out as he watches the shield's power levels drop and disappear. They all listen and hear the shields drop in power and explode.

The force of the Providus's shield explosion blows the ships apart; sending the Antagony high into the upper atmosphere and the Providus into an end-over-end tumble. Pieces begin to rip off of the ship as it tumbles down further and further.

"THE SYSTEMS AREN'T RESPONDING!" Warpath yells as he tries to stabilize the ship. Wing squints with anger as he watches out the windshield as the view changes from sky to ground and back again over and over again.

Finally, Warpath manages to stop the spin by activating the engines. The ship suddenly stops; snapping Snarl's belt and sending him flying across the ship and slamming into a wall.

The ship finally begins to level out as Warpath unstraps himself and rushes over towards the offline Snarl.

Onboard the Antagony...

"NOW! Their shields are down!" MegaZarak screams as he stops the ship's ascension and forces the ship to lose altitude, "Skar! Activate the mega-missile!"

Skar nods as he presses a few buttons. MegaZarak finally lowers the ship to the Providus's level.

"Sir! They're back!" Warpath announces as he sees the Antagony slowly descend into the view of the windshield.

"Compose yourself Warpath...they won't defeat us!" Wing Convoy sneers as he watches the Antagony align itself to face him head on.

Skar grins as he looks out the windshield at the smaller Providus and presses a large red button.

Meanwhile, far below the two ships on the ground...

The Maximals and the Predacons slowly stop fighting as they all stare upward at the two mighty ships now only a few hundred feet above them.

"What?" Rattrap states in confusion. "The Providus…wasn't destroyed?" Cheetor adds. "Hmm…it would appear that Wing Convoy is not as dumb as I had previously thought…" Dinobus Prime comments.

"Well..." Megatron begins from not far away as he sees the two ships appear out of the layer of clouds, "...It looks like they've made this a lot easier for us Gigatron..."

Gigatron smirks evilly and nods as he sees the two ships as well. "I've almost got it all rigged up according to your instructions; all I need is..."

Just then they hear a sound and turn to see a silver jet zoom towards them.

"What is that...?" Gigatron's voice trails off as he watches the jet slow down as it approaches them.

"Scorponok...TERRORIZE!" The jet shouts as it transforms into robot mode and lands near the two Predacons.

"SCORPONOK?" Megatron bellows in shock as he sees the Transmetal robot stroll towards them.

"M-M-Megatron...?" Scorponok stutters out as he stares in awe at the towering Transmetal 2 Megatron before him.

"First it was Tarantulas, then Rampage, then Dinobot; and now you...who else is still alive?" Megatron screams in sarcastic anger.

"M-Megatron...you're alive!" Scorponok cries out; still in shock.

"Of course I'm alive; imbecile!" Megatron sneers.

"So...what do we do now?" Gigatron asks; interrupting.

Megatron and Scorponok both look at him. "Gigatron?" Scorponok asks with confusion.

Megatron sighs loudly, "Alright...if we're all done with the happy family reunion..." he grimaces with sarcasm, "...There is important business to attend to."

"Scorponok; I need you to assist Gigatron with the final stages of my little _project_..." Megatron grins with satisfaction.

"Right away Megatron!" Scorponok nods and rushes off with Gigatron.

"Now..." Megatron states to himself as he turns back towards the two ships, "...The next hand is yours I believe MegaZarak..." He laughs lightly to himself with insanity.

Back inside the Antagony...

Skar stares in confusion at the monitor in front of him. "What is it? Why hasn't the mega-missile been lowered yet?" MegaZarak asks in anger as he rises from his seat and approaches Skar.

Skar points to the monitor, and MegaZarak leans in and examines the screen.

"But how...?" He asks himself as he sees a diagram of the ship's underbelly depicting the doors only partially opened.

"Could it be a systems malfunction?" Six-Shot asks as he joins them.

"Hmm..." MegaZarak rubs his chin lightly, "...Perhaps there is another way..."

He looks at Six-Shot with a sly grin; and Six-Shot nods quietly with a silly grin as he races towards the back of the ship. Myrimidon sees him and stands up out of his chair and follows him towards the back. MegaZarak and Skar both race towards the rear of the ship too.

Onboard the Providus...

"Well..." Wing Convoy mutters as he sits in his chair; calm and composed.

"Well what?" Warpath asks; trying to reactivate Snarl.

"Well...are you going to get back to your post? I need to know what the Antagony's doing..." Wing Convoy begins, "...She's just sitting there."

"HEY!" Warpath snaps, "Snarl's injured! Have you no compassion?"

Warpath stares up at Wing Convoy; anger and rage pulsing through his circuits. "WELL?" Warpath cries out; but Wing Convoy doesn't move a gear.

"I know you can hear me! I'm tried of you always putting us down and acting like you don't care about anything!" Warpath screams.

Wing Convoy very slowly turns his chair around; his gaze fixed upon Warpath as he rotates in his chair.

Warpath clenches his fists in anger; but relaxes them when he sees Wing Convoy rise from his chair without diverting his glare even once.

"S..sir...I'm...I'm sorry...I shouldn't have..." Warpath begins as he watches Wing Convoy slowly pull out his sword and move towards him.

"Warpath...I've only got one thing to say to you..." Wing states as he arches his sword back.

Warpath cringes in fear as he Wing stands a few feet from him.

"DUCK!" Wing screams as he throws his sword through the air.

Warpath hits the ground as the sword flies into the darkened exit corridor outside the room.

A few moments later, Six-Shot slumps over into the light of the room; leaving Warpath looking around stunned.

"It's the Decepticons! They've boarded the ship!" Wing Convoy screams as the other Predacons file into the room and attack him and Warpath.

Meanwhile...

"Hmm..." Scorponok mutters, "...So, that's the plan, huh. It sounds good to me."

"Yes..." Gigatron begins when something catches him off guard.

They turn to see a ship cruise towards them at a low altitude.

"No...it can't be!" Gigatron begins as he sees the ship come towards them.

Gigatron watches as the ship lands nearby. "Hmm...what's she doing here?" he asks himself.

The ramp of the ship drops to the ground as Nemesis pokes her head out and looks around.

"Well...the coast seems to be clear..." she mutters to herself, "...Now to find Megatron; and more importantly; the spark capture device!"

She goes back inside the ship for a few moments and returns again with the body of Waspinator slung over her shoulder as she hops down the ramp and onto the ground.

"Scorponok..." Gigatron begins, "...I need you to do something very important for me..."

"Hey! I'm second-in-command!" Scorponok retorts.

"Not anymore..." Gigatron smirks; leaving Scorponok to stare at him blankly.

"Anyway…" Gigatron continues, "…I need you to commandeer that ship over there and make sure that no one touches it. Can you handle that?"

"Of course I can handle that!" Scorponok mutters. He transforms into scorpion mode and quickly races off towards the ship; leaving Gigatron behind smiling deviously.

Back on board the Providus…

MegaZarak rushes over to Wing Convoy and begins to pummel him with punch after punch.

"I've waited patiently for this moment Wing Convoy…" MegaZarak grins.

"Save your speech for someone who cares!" Wing replies as he delivers a solid kick to MegaZarak's gearbox region just below his waist.

"I can't keep this up!" Warpath screams as picks up Skar by his shoulder cannon and rips it off. He tosses Skar across the ship into the downed MegaZarak, "…We need an exit strategy!"

"Quite." Wing quietly replies as he pauses for a moment to think when Myrimidon blindsides him with a sword blow to the shoulder.

"WING!" Warpath screams as he picks up Skar's broken cannon and aims it at Myrimidon. Myrimidon notices him and stares down Warpath; waiting for him to make the first move.

"No…" Wing mutters as he tries to rise to his feet, "…You'll blow a hole in the ship! No energy weapons!"

"Fine then!" Warpath growls as he charges at full speed at Myrimidon; and with one mighty swing of the cannon; he smashes in Myrimidon's knee caps, causing his knees to buckle backwards and him to collapse to the ground.

"Hmm…" Wing begins as he stands up, "…Well done."

Warpath turns at looks at Wing in sheer amazement, "What did you say?"

"I said 'Well done.'" Wing replies.

"But…you've never given me a compliment before…" Warpath emotionally replies.

"Oh don't go and get all gushy on me!" Wing growls, "I commend great performances; that's all. You improvised well; and I gave you a compliment. Simple as that."

"No, it's not that simple." Warpath retorts, "All of my years in the military I spent trying to do my best. Big Convoy and Lio Convoy always gave me compliments and noticed my achievements; but never you. That's why I volunteered for this mission. I was hoping that by helping you capture Gigatron that maybe you'd finally see that I'm a good warrior; and maybe you'd finally give the rest of the council your permission so they could promote me."

"By the skidplate of Primus himself! That's all this has been about? You're trying to impress _me_?" Wing shouts in shock.

"Yes sir; that's all I wanted to do…I wanted to impress the great Wing Convoy…" Warpath states.

Wing Convoy sighs. "I…I'm going to tell you something…something I've never told anyone before."

Wing steps up to Warpath and places his hands upon his shoulders; and looks him directly in the face. "You see; I'm not the bot I proclaim myself to be. You shouldn't look up to me as a role model; you should learn from my mistakes. I used to be a great leader like Optimus Prime and the other Convoys; but I thought I knew better. I believed that their compassion was their greatest weak point; and so I closed myself off from the rest of the world. I made it so that I hated everyone; and was willing to let those I cared about die just so that I kept my status and came out of it smelling like a rose. You see; I became evil; almost to the point that people compared me with Predacons. I needed to get away. That's why _I_ came on this mission. I knew that Gigatron needed to be captured; but at the same time I wasn't going to send some rag-tag team to get him; like I did with Optimus Primal and his crew from the Axalon who I left in charge of capturing Megatron. No; this time I would do it myself."

"Warpath; if there's one piece of advice I can give you; it's follow your own path. Don't be like me. I made the wrong choice; and now I have to suffer with it; alone. I can never go back to Cybertron. Even if I did manage to capture Gigatron; the general population of Cybertron views me as a nothing more than a dirty; low-down waste of good parts. Don't be like me. You always had the stuff to be a great leader; you don't have to have me tell you that. I was too proud to admit it before…but you could be a great leader; way better than me. Do what you feel is right in your spark, Warpath, not what some vile and corrupt leader like myself wants you to believe is right."

Meanwhile, far below on the ground…

"Well, if isn't my old comrade Dinobot…" Megatron grins as he strolls over to the group of Maximals and Predacons; all staring upward at the two ships, "…I do believe that I owe you some payback; for a little incident on the Nemesis…"

"Megatron…" Dinobus begins as he sees Megatron strolling towards him, "…Your insane ambitions have made you blind. You have no clue what you're doing!"

"I know exactly what I'm doing!" Megatron screams as he pulls out the spark extractor, "I'm shutting you down; permanently!"

The two race towards each other; as Dinobus grabs his swords and Megatron arches his dragon head back. Megatron leaps into the air and fires a fireball directly at Dinobus; engulfing him completely.

"Fool! You're still no match for me!" Megatron bellows as other bots around them start to notice what's happening.

"Times have changed..." Dinobus states as he emerges from the fire; splitting the fireball around him with his swords.

Dinobus leaps into the air and flies towards Megatron. "So, you can fly now!" Megatron sneers, "We'll soon put an end to that!"

Megatron fires another fireball at Dinobus; which he deflects with one of his swords. "No more Megatron! It ends now!" Dinobus screams as he swings and slices Megatron across the belly before he has a chance to react.

"Arrrrgghhhh….noooooo!" Megatron screams as he tumbles through the air and slams into the ground. The spark capture device bounces out of his hand and rolls along the ground a short distance.

"Now!" Dinobus screams, "Get the device!" "Never thought I'd be taking orders from him." Rattrap sarcastically remarks as he runs and grabs the device off of the ground.

"No!" a voice calls out from not far away. Rattrap turns to see Nemesis standing a short distance away.

"Aw, what's that matter…did you want this?" Rattrap snickers as he taunts her with the spark capture device.

"That's mine vermin!" she screams as she launches one of her rocket-propelled swords at him. He tumbles to the ground and rolls as the sword zooms past him.

"You're gonna have to be faster than that!" Rattrap laughs as he looks at the device. He quickly taps a couple of keys and pulls the trigger; sending the sparks flying out of the device.

"Yes! Way to go Rattrap!" Cheetor calls out as he sees Rattrap release the sparks. Nemesis watches in confusion as one of the sparks flies by her and into the body of Waspinator.

The other two sparks fly behind a far off rock and into the bodies of Rhinox and Silverbolt.

"Well…it seems you have done the dirty work for me, mouse…" Nemesis quietly mutters as she disappears behind some nearby rocks.

"Huh…women." Rattrap shakes his head as he walks away.

"Uh…where am I?" A voice states from behind a boulder. "Rhinox? Is that you?" Cheetor asks.

"Your voice sounds kind of different…" Rattrap states. "Um…" Rhinox begins as he emerges from behind the rock and alters his voice, "…How so?"

"Well…um…never mind, I guess." Rattrap shrugs his shoulders.

"So, what's new, pussycat?" Silverbolt states as he stands up and walks up next to Rhinox.

"Hmm…maybe it's just the reactivation; but you guys seem…different." Cheetor states. "I don't know what you mean Cheetor." Rhinox grins.

"Yessss…that's it…" Megatron grins vilely from a short distance away. He opens a com channel to Rhinox; Silverbolt and Waspinator. "Keep your Maximal personas for now; my new generals. The time will come shortly when I can activate Phase 2 of your programs; but for now just play along." Megatron states.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield…

"Dark Scream, Gas Skunk, Slapper, Sky-Byte; come here…" Gigatron states as he creeps onto the battlefield unnoticed.

"What is it Gigatron?" Sky-Byte asks him. "While the others are still distracted, I need you to help me."

"Okay, so what'd ya want us to do?" Slapper asks. "I need you to go over to the stasis pods. It's time for us to carry out Megatron's great plan!"

"Great plan? He never told me about any great plan." Dark Scream comments. "Don't worry; I know what to do." Gigatron states.

"So, what's this great plan?" Gas Skunk asks. Gigatron smiles, "…Endgame!"

Back on board the Providus…

"My, that was a touching speech…" MegaZarak states as he rises to his feet again; "I must commend you Wing Convoy; I shall enjoy killing you that much more!"

He punches Wing Convoy in the head; causing him to stumble.

Just then, someone grabs MegaZarak by the waist. "Snarl?" Warpath asks in confusion. "Didn't think you could have all the fun; did you?" Snarl laughs as he uses all of his strength to lift MegaZarak above his head and fling him across the ship.

"Argh…that hurt…" MegaZarak growls as wipes a trail of mech fluid from his mouth, "…But no one will ever defeat me; not Autobot nor Maximal!"

Meanwhile; at that precise moment on board the Antagony…

The main cockpit is engulfed in flames as the controls overheat from the jammed cannon.

Underneath the ship; a large rock is jammed in the doors that open to reveal the cannon. The rock begins to crack a little; and it finally gives way and the doors spring open.

Back on the Providus…

"Um…Wing..." Warpath begins shakily. "What is it?" Wing asks; turning to see Warpath staring out the windshield at the Antagony.

MegaZarak is about to charge them when he sees the three Maximals looking out the windshield in sheer terror. He walks up behind them and looks out at his ship.

They all watch in horror as they see the main cannon of the ship lower down; waves of electricity rippling across its surface as a giant missile loads into the cannon chamber.

"Oh Primus help us…" Warpath gulps as he shakes with fear.

"So, at last, we meet face to face; defeat…" Wing Convoy states as he bows his head in silence.

The cannon's sound grows in intensity as it builds up all of its power. A few moments later, the missile's rockets fire and it launches into the air and straight for the Providus.

The missile slams into the ship; exploding in a blinding ball of pure white light that rips through each section of the ship like a tornado; vaporizing the ship and the occupants as energy waves scream and rip the ship apart.

The Maximals and Megatron watch from the ground as the Providus is literally ripped apart; as each section of the ship explodes outward in balls of raging fire until absolutely nothing is left of the ship besides a few tiny fragments of metal and dust.

"Such raw power…" Megatron comments in sheer amazement at what happened to the Providus.

"Do you think anyone survived?" Cheetor asks. "Not from that." Blackarachnia comments.

Megatron quickly opens a com channel to Gigatron. "Now Gigatron; it is time!" Megatron grins with sheer pleasure, "Begin Operation: Final Assault!"

"Oh Primus no…" Optimus states with sheer terror as he sees Megatron transform and take off. "What is it Bigbot?" Cheetor asks him.

"Megatron's got something planned; something bad…" Optimus begins, "We have to stop him! Now!"

**Author's Notes:**

What is Megatron's plan? Will his "Operation: Final Assualt" be a success, or will the Maximals stop him?

Also, will Tigatron and Airazor get Depth Charge back online? And what is Gigatron planning to do once he's done with Megatron's plan? And will the 3 revived Maximals be able to overcome their Vehicon personality programs?

Keep watchin as all hell breaks loose in the next chapter!


	22. Episode 74: The Final Assualt, Pt 2

**'Myth Wars': Episode 74: "The Final Assault: Part 2: Ultimate Power":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

Optimus and the Maximals all race after Megatron as he flies off as fast as he can.

"Where do you think he's headed Bigbot?" Cheetor asks as he uses his jetpack to rocket him over the land.

"I'm not sure…but I don't want to find out either!" Optimus states as he flies next to Cheetor.

Meanwhile, with Tigatron and Airazor…

"I can't believe ol' Megs would just leave these stasis pods unattended…" Airazor comments.

"I guess some things don't change." Tigatron comments as he and Airazor share a quick laugh.

"Let's get Depth Charge back!" Airazor smiles at Tigatron, and he smiles back. They lift Depth Charge up and set him into one of the open pods.

"I just hope that those code sequences that Dinobus gave us work…" Tigatron states uneasily as Airazor closes the pod hatch; locking Depth Charge inside.

Elsewhere…

"Oh…where am I?" Waspinator states as he sits up.

"Waspinator? Is that you?" Nemesis comments as she looks at him strangely.

"Um…" Waspinator states as he coughs a little and alters his voice secretly, "…Why birdie-bot ask silly question?"

"Hmm…" she says, rubbing her chin, "Perhaps…"

"Perhaps what?" A voice asks from behind her; causing her to jump around and whip out her swords.

"YOU!" She screams as she sees Gigatron stand defiantly between her and the Darklight.

"Yes, it's me. So, what're you going to do now?" Gigatron sneers as he grabs his tail lance.

Nemesis eyes Gigatron; watching him stare her down. "So, you're still wounded from our last encounter I see…" she slyly states.

"Yes, I still have to thank you for that…" Gigatron begins, "…Personally!"

He races towards her as fast as he can; but she easily dodges him as he swings and misses. She slices him across the side as he passes her; causing him to stumble and fall.

"Predacons…obliterate her!" Gigatron screams as she suddenly looks around in shock.

Gas Skunk, Slapper, Sky-Byte and Dark Scream slowly creep towards her; encircling her as she stands over the fallen Gigatron.

"Fine, if that's the way you want it…then so be it!" Nemesis states as she launches one of her rocket-propelled swords at Sky-Byte; piercing his shoulder and sending him crashing to the ground.

The other three Predacons charge her and start beating her up; beating her with both their weapons and their fists.

Pretty soon; they overpower her and force her to the ground where they continue to attack her. Her parts start to crack and break off as she tries to fight them off; but the three Predacons continue their relentless assault.

Suddenly, a blast strikes Dark Scream in the side of the head; sending him skidding across the ground. The other two look up and see Waspinator standing a few feet away with his stinger gun aimed at them.

"Wazpinator does not appreciate Predacons attacking his birdie-bot!" Waspinator screams as he fires two more shots; knocking Gas Skunk and Slapper off of her.

"By the great smelter; you have changed!" Nemesis recoils a little as she looks at Waspinator; as he grins at her.

"Oh, you have no idea, lady…" Waspinator states with an evil smirk; his voice more gruff and brazen.

Elsewhere…

Megatron flies through the air when someone zooms in front of him; causing him to come to a sudden stop.

"Goin' somewhere?" Silverbolt states as he hovers in front of Megatron.

"Do you really want to stop me?" Megatron asks him with a slight grin. Silverbolt raises his wingtips and loads missiles into them.

"You know who you are…" Megatron grins, "…Do not try to stop me, Jetstorm!"

Silverbolt gasps, and slowly lowers his wingtips as he looks away in shame.

"Yesss…that's good…" Megatron grins as he zooms past Silverbolt; leaving him only to look on in sadness.

Meanwhile, on the ground…

"What the heck just happened?" Rattrap asks as he races alongside Rhinox in vehicle mode.

"Hmm…hard to say…" Rhinox states, "…I guess Silverbolt just couldn't shoot Megatron like that; you know about his honor and morals…"

Rattrap looks at him oddly but says nothing as they continue racing after Megatron.

Meanwhile, near the Darklight…

"Dark Scream! Sky-Byte! Scorponok! Come here quickly!" Gigatron calls out from behind a nearby rock.

Scorponok pokes his head out of the Darklight; and walks towards Gigatron. The other two slowly get up; shaking off the damage from Waspinator's attack. "What is it, boss?" Dark Scream asks.

"I need you to do something important for me…" Gigatron grins as he points to the Antagony; still floating in mid-air with its mega-cannon still extended out.

Back with Tigatron and Airazor…

"So, did it work?" She asks him as they stare at the pod.

"I don't know…" Tigatron comments as he looks at the pod in confusion.

Just then Airazor is smacked across the back of the head; knocking her out cold.

"AIRAZOR!" Tigatron screams as he sees Airazor go down. He turns quickly to see a boot come flying towards his face.

He reacts quickly and catches the foot; pushing the robot back and sending them into a tumbling roll.

"Airazor! Are you damaged?" Tigatron shouts as he helps Airazor to her feet. She wipes a small trail of mech-fluid from her mouth, "I'm alright…who was that?"

Tigatron grimaces as he looks at the robot who attacked them, "Dreadnought."

She stands to her feet and grabs her gun. "Anyone who helps the bot who killed my father is my enemy!" She screams as she fires upon them; sending Tigatron and Airazor running for cover.

They begin to return fire when one of Dreadnought's shots finds its mark and knocks Tigatron out.

"Yes!" Dreadnought screams as she quickly races towards the downed Tigatron.

"Tigatron?" Airazor screams as she examines the damage to his head. But a few seconds later she feels a gun barrel on the back of her head.

"Any last requests?" Dreadnought states as she presses the gun into the back of Airazor's head.

"Just one…" a voice states from behind her. She whips around only to receive a fist directly in the face; knocking flat on her back.

"…Take a nap!" Depth Charge states with a note of pleasure.

Elsewhere…

"Perfect! All is going according to plan!" Megatron grins as he finally lands far away from the battlefield in a rocky field, "This should be far enough away to give Gigatron the diversion he needs…"

"Megatron…TERRORIZE!" he screams as he transforms and faces the Maximals as they close in on him.

"Jeesh, I didn't think he'd ever land!" Rattrap frowns as he transforms into robot mode. The rest of the Maximals follow suit and transform.

"It's the end of the road Megatron!" Optimus yells as he points at Megatron.

"Oh, I beg to differ…" Megatron grins as he launches a fireball at Optimus. He quickly transforms into gorilla mode and uses his blast armor to deflect the fireblast.

The other Maximals open fire upon him; causing Megatron to race towards them; dodging their laserfire.

Megatron slams into Cheetor; knocking to the ground as he picks up Rattrap in his dragon mouth and flings him into Dinobus. Rattrap smashes into him; causing them both to tumble to the ground.

"ARGH! Get off me; you pathetic rodent!" Dinobus screams. "Heh, good to see that you haven't changed." Rattrap remarks sarcastically.

Meanwhile…

"Alright! Now's our chance!" Gigatron commands. Dark Scream, Scorponok and Sky-Byte nod and take off towards the Antagony as Gigatron and the others watch with smiles.

Suddenly a noise catches Gigatron's attention and he turns to see Nemesis and Waspinator standing just a few feet away from him.

"So, thought you could take the Antagony without me knowing?" Nemesis coolly states.

"Oh no, I never intended to take it…" Gigatron grins as Gas Skunk and Slapper draw their weapons. They aim them at Waspinator and Nemesis; causing them to look around in shock.

"…I intend to steal the Darklight!" Gigatron laughs evilly.

Elsewhere…

Megatron races towards Optimus Primal; transforming into dragon mode in mid jump and landing on top of him.

"Admit defeat Primal!" Megatron screams as he bites into Primal's neck.

"No!" Primal defiantly screams as he grabs Megatron by the neck and flings him off of him; slamming him into a nearby boulder.

"Optimus Primal…MAXIMIZE!" He screams as he transforms into robot mode and grabs Megatron again, and with one mighty movement; he picks him up and slams him into the ground as hard as he can.

"Alright! Way to go Bigbot!" Cheetor yells as he waves his arms in triumph, now back on his feet.

"I must commend you Optimus; you fought well…" Dinobus states; brushing the dust off of him.

"Eh, you did okay." Rattrap remarks.

Primal laughs lightly as he stands next to the downed Megatron, "At long last, Megatron is defeated!"

Elsewhere…

"Hmm, the systems on the ship seem to be operational still…" Sky-Byte notes as he looks at the controls as he fans away the smoke from the fire they just put out inside the cockpit.

"Yeah, now if we could only read ancient Decepticon!" Dark Scream comments.

"_Dark Scream! Sky-Byte! Scorponok! Do you copy?_" a voice states over their COM links.

"Yes, this is Sky-Byte. What is it Gigatron?" Sky-Byte asks.

"_Waspinator and Nemesis have been captured. The Darklight is ours!_" Gigatron announces triumphantly.

"That's great news boss!" Dark Scream comments.

"_Yes…but more importantly; now we must finish our final task. Use the main joystick to lower the ship down…I will direct you along the way._" Gigatron states.

"Alright!" Sky-Byte replies; taking a seat in the control chair; which is way too big for him.

Sky-Byte grabs the controls as Dark Scream and Scorponok assume the co-piloting positions.

Meanwhile, on the ground…

"Perfect. Now, while I stay here and guard the Darklight; I need you two to go on a special mission for me..." Gigatron smirks.

Elsewhere…

"Tigatron? Airazor? Are you two alright?" Depth Charge asks as he helps them to their feet.

"Yes, I believe that the damage wasn't too extensive." Tigatron states.

"Well…we'll just have to do something about that, now won't we?" Dreadnought laughs as she rises to her feet and fires a single shot at Tigatron and Airazor; knocking them both out again.

"Don't you know when to just give up?" Depth Charge comments sarcastically.

"I'm not finished with you fish boy…" Dreadnought growls, "…Not by a long shot!"

She opens fire upon him; causing him to race out of the path. He grabs his guns and fires at her; nailing her in the hip.

She collapses to one knee; as Depth Charge walks towards her.

"So, you think you've won; is that it?" Dreadnought smiles insanely.

"Let's just say that you don't have the high ground right now." Depth Charge comments as he aims his gun at her head.

"Heh…you don't have the guts to pull the trigger…" Dreadnought smiles.

"Wanna bet?" Depth Charge retorts.

"Rampage told me stories…stories about you and him…" Dreadnought begins.

"Oh?" Depth Charge comments, squinting one optic.

"Yes, he told me about Colony Omicron and Star base Rugby…he told me that you were on Colony Omicron; and that he let you live after he killed every last bot!" Dreadnought tells him.

"That's a lie!" Depth Charge screams, "Rampage leveled the colony and left me for dead. He didn't know that I survived!"

"Yes, but he told me about your friends too…he told me about your friend; Cybershark."

"Leave him out of this!" Depth Charge yells, clenching his fist in anger.

"He ripped his head clean off; and feasted upon his still pulsating spark as Cybershark watched on helplessly." Dreadnought laughs.

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Depth Charge screams, his body shaking a little as he fights back the anger.

"You should have heard it…he told me that he begged for his life! He begged; but that only made him enjoy killing him that much more! He enjoyed every nano-click as he tortured him slowly and painfully; he enjoyed every moment of horrendous agony as Cybershark cried out for mercy; each scream draining his energy that much more until he finally could speak no more; which he when Rampage ripped out his spark and ate it right in front of his waning life essence!"

"NNOOOOOOO!" Depth Charge screams as he loses control and pulls the trigger.

The area falls silent as Dreadnought collapses to the ground; dead.

Depth Charge looks at her silently for a few minutes; unable to say anything.

"You…you did what you had to." Airazor comments; walking towards Depth Charge. She places her shoulder upon his shoulder; but he quickly shrugs it off.

"No…I let my emotions get the best of me…" Depth Charge comments.

"What do you mean?" Airazor asks as Tigatron walks towards them.

"My battle with Rampage was mine and his alone. She was an innocent; an innocent that Rampage twisted and changed. I guess somewhere deep down inside I was hoping I could change her; get her back to her former Maximal self, but I'm afraid she was just too far gone." Depth Charge comments.

"There was no hope for her. She was lost." Tigatron states reassuringly.

"Still, you did have her at your mercy. You had your gun right up to her head." Airazor states.

"Yes, that's true…" Depth Charge begins, "…But I wasn't going to pull the trigger."

Back with Optimus and the other Maximals…

"Man, I can't believe that Optimus is making me drag Mega-jerk here by my lonesome!" Rattrap remarks as he drags Megatron along the ground a considerable distance behind the other Maximals as they head towards the downed Autobot shuttle.

Just then two fists slam into the sides of Rattrap's head; causing him to wobble his head loosely and collapse to the ground without a word.

"Excellent…Gigatron will be pleased!" Slapper comments as he picks up Megatron's feet.

"Oh shut up already!" Gas Skunk remarks as he lifts up Megatron's upper torso. They quickly race off with Megatron; leaving Rattrap by himself.

"Oh…I hate Preds!" Rattrap comments as he rests on the ground on his elbow; still dizzy from the blows.

A few minutes pass before Rattrap has enough strength to rise to his feet. He quickly transforms into vehicle mode and races after the other Maximals, miles ahead of him.

"Optimus!" he screams as he finally catches up with the rest. "Rattrap?" Optimus states, turning around to see Rattrap race towards him and transform into robot mode.

"Where's Megatron?" Optimus gulps in fear.

"That's what I was going to tell you…" Rattrap begins, "…Two Preds blind-sided me and stole Megatron!"

"Oh no…" Optimus begins as the other Maximals look at him.

"Everyone move! Back to the Antagony!" Optimus screams as he transforms into air guardian mode and zooms off; the others transforming and following in hot pursuit.

Back with Gigatron…

As Waspinator and Nemesis sit next to each other; chained up with electro-bonds and guarded by Slapper; Gigatron, Scorponok, Dark Scream, Gas Skunk, and Sky-Byte all are hard at work.

"Is the stasis pod ready?" Gigatron asks. "It is!" Scorponok replies as he taps a few keys on the control panel of the pod.

"Are the cables connected?" Gigatron asks Dark Scream; who nods approvingly as he connects the final cable.

"And is the Antagony ready?" Gigatron asks into his intercom; and Gas Skunk and Sky-Byte give him the thumbs-up from inside the ship.

"Perfect…then let Operation: Final Assault commence!" Gigatron screams as Scorponok pushes a button.

The stasis pod begins to glow as the body of Megatron sits inside the pod; hanging out due to his massive size. The cables on that extend from the pod to the Antagony begin to glow and sizzle as waves of energy ripple across them; faster and faster as power surges through the cables.

"Yes…yes…its working!" Gigatron laughs as he watches the Antagony's outer hull repair itself.

"Looks like Megatron's diagnostic program was enough to repair the ship!" Slapper comments as he watches the ship continue to reformat and repair itself.

"Yes, and with the stasis pod technology and my knowledge of the workings of the Antagony; the operation should be a complete success!" Gigatron laughs triumphantly.

Finally, the glowing of the pod begins to dim as the power levels drop.

"Is it done?" Gigatron asks into his COM link. Sky-Byte and Gas Skunk look around for a few moments at the inside of the ship and the controls; and nod approvingly in response.

"Excellent! Then let us make our escape now; while we still can." Gigatron begins, "I'm sure that Optimus Primal and the other Maximals are on their way since you two stole Megatron. But I'm no fool; I'll let Megatron handle them once he's online…I have other places to go and other worlds to conquer!"

The Predacons quickly race towards the Darklight as Nemesis watches with disgust.

"So long my former friend; it's been a pleasure!" Gigatron laughs as waves his farewells to Nemesis.

"I always hated you…" she replies quietly; unable to move too much due to the bonds.

The Predacons all file into the Darklight as Sky-Byte, Slapper, Dark Scream and Gas Skunk all take positions on the ship's controls.

"Well…what are you waiting for?" Gigatron asks Scorponok as he stands outside the ship.

"I'm…not going with you." Scorponok states, "Megatron is my true leader; and I will stay here with him."

"Fine then; have it your way!" Gigatron states as he walks into the ship, "Goodbye, Scorponok!"

He slams the door of the Darklight shut; and takes his seat at the controls of the ship.

"All engines…online!" Sky-Byte comments as the engines ignite; and the ship uses the rough ground as a runway and lifts off into the air.

"Well…that went alright I suppose…" Gigatron comments, "…but I'm still damaged from Nemesis's attack. I think I'll get a new body…"

He thinks to himself as he pilots the ship out of the atmosphere. "I got it! A six-changer! I always wanted to have more modes…" he grins vilely as Slapper activates the transwarp engines.

"Heck, I'll think I'll even change my name to Megatron!" Gigatron laughs as he presses a button and the ship jumps into transwarp space; arriving at an unknown destination.

Meanwhile; back on Earth…

"There it is!" Cheetor announces as they see the Antagony not far ahead of them.

"Now, I just hope that we're not too late…" Optimus states.

"Oh, but I believe that you already are…" a voice states; his voice booming across the landscape.

"Megatron?" Optimus states; a certain level of surprise and fear in his voice.

"Oh yes; it is I!" Megatron booms; his voice echoing into the distance.

The Antagony lifts into the air; its underside jets lifting it off of the ground and high into the air.

"What's going on here?" Rattrap screams as the ground shakes violently from the force of the Antagony rising into the air.

"It's Megatron! He's hijacked the Antagony!" Blackarachnia screams as they all brace themselves from the shaking of the ground.

"Oh no my dear spider…" Megatron's voice booms as the ship begins to creak and crack apart.

They all watch on in silent horror as the ship begins to transform; as parts of the ship move and slide apart.

Giant legs extend down from underneath the ship and the side wings emerge out from the body of the ship and form giant arms; one with a huge mega-cannon on it and the other with a tremendous spinning windmill-like blade.

Lastly, a giant head rises out slowly of the ship's hull; and its optics flash on; with an eerie resemblance to Megatron's face.

"…You are incorrect Blackarachnia. I did not hijack the Antagony…" Megatron begins as he stares down at them; his gigantic form towering stories above them, "…I AM THE ANTAGONY!"

**Author's Notes:**

Megatron's ultimate goal has come into reality!

Will the Maximals be able to stop him? What will happen next?

Find out in the bone-chilling conclusion to the first of 2 3-parter finales of Myth Wars!


	23. Episode 75: The Final Assualt, Pt 3

**'Myth Wars': Episode 75: "The Final Assault: Part 3: The Last Showdown":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

"I always feared that a day would come; a day when Megatron would become too powerful to stop; a day when all my worst fears would come true. That day has finally arrived."

Optimus utters those words as he and the rest of the Maximals stare skyward at the towering giant that Megatron has become.

"Now Primal…allow me to introduce you…" Megatron grins, "…to a world of PAIN!"

Megatron raises his right arm and aims his huge mega-cannon directly at Primal.

"Um…now would be a good time to RUNN!" Rattrap screams as he transforms into vehicle mode and tears the ground apart as he gains traction and races off at full speed.

A gigantic missile loads into the cannon and Megatron launches it directly at Optimus. Optimus dives out of the path as the missile slams into the ground.

A massive blast crater appears as a fireball explodes outward; engulfing Optimus, Cheetor and Rhinox. Their screams fill the air as Megatron smirks and aims his cannon again for another shot.

"Only a coward would resort to such measures!" Dinobus cries out as he flies up next to Megatron's head and lands on top of his shoulder.

Megatron turns his huge head to face Dinobus. His optics are larger than Dinobus and stare him down with extreme contempt. "I believe that you're in no position to be calling names, Dinobot!" Megatron growls; the sheer loudness of his voice shaking Dinobus so much his knees buckle.

Just then Megatron feels something and looks down to see Cheetor, Rattrap and Optimus firing upon him with all their might.

In that moment's distraction, Dinobus charges his optics and fires several blasts at Megatron's optics; but they have no effect.

"I grow tired of your games!" Megatron growls as his giant hand swoops onto his shoulder and smacks Dinobus clear off.

Megatron lifts his leg and plows it into the ground; creating a tidal wave of land that engulfs the Maximals before they have a chance to escape.

"Let's see how you like this!" Blackarachnia screams as she uses her powers to lift one of the empty stasis pods into the air and slam it into Megatron's leg.

The explosion barely even dents Megatron's leg as he extends out two gun emplacements on his legs and opens fire upon Blackarachnia; sending her running for cover.

Just then Optimus hears something; and turns to see Airazor, Depth Charge and Tigatron arrive on the scene.

"Sorry, we got here as fast as we could!" Airazor states. "Great! You're just in time to get slagged!" Rattrap laughs sarcastically as he continues firing upon Megatron.

"ARGH! Why won't you pathetic Maximals just die already!" Megatron screams as he activates his giant windmill blade and slams it into the ground.

"MOVE IT BOTS!" Cheetor cries out as he transforms into beast mode and turns his rocket to full throttle as he and the Maximals desperately try to out-race Megatron's blade.

The blade tears apart the ground violently mere feet behind Cheetor as he rockets as fast as he can across the land.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Megatron cackles as the blade rips through the solid bedrock like butter; leaving nothing but scarred and broken rock behind.

Megatron lifts his blade up and stops it's spinning; as Cheetor and the other Maximals in front of him skid to a halt. "_That_ was too close!" Cheetor gasps for air.

Megatron crouches down and leaps into the air. "Oh SLLLLAAAGGGG!" Rattrap screams as he sees the enormous shadow of Megatron engulf him.

He leaps out of the way just as Megatron lands; but his leg is crushed under the tremendous pressure of Megatron.

"Rattrap!" Optimus shouts as Rattrap groans in pain; his leg utterly shattered by the sheer weight of Megatron landing on it.

Megatron runs off; shaking the ground as he leaps across the vast landscape like a sprinter. He stops a large mountain range.

"Now what's he doing?" Depth Charge asks. "Do you really want to know?" Blackarachnia comments sarcastically.

Megatron plunges both of his hands into the sides of the mountain and with all his strength; he slowly rips the mountain out of the ground.

"Oh; you've got to be kidding me!" Cheetor shouts as Megatron raises the mountain high above his head; giant chunks of the rock breaking off as he races back towards them.

"What would you like on your tombstone Primal?" Megatron growls as he heaves the mountain straight down on top of Optimus; the deafening sound of the mountain slamming down echoing far off into the distance.

"OPTIMUSSSS!" Cheetor screams as he sees Optimus buried under the mountain before he can escape.

"Take Megatron down; NOWWW!" Cheetor commands as opens fire on Megatron; holding absolutely nothing back.

All the Maximals open fire on Megatron; concentrating their fire upon his shin in hopes of collapsing him.

But their weapons have no effect as Megatron sweeps his hand and smashes into the row of Maximals; scattering them for miles.

"Forget about me?" Dinobus shouts as he appears behind Megatron; not in the line of swatted Maximals.

"You should have stayed dead, traitor!" Megatron bellows as he swings at Dinobus; but misses.

Dinobus aligns his swords and dives at Megatron; slamming into his abdomen and plowing through his thick outer hull.

Inside Dinobus tumbles for a few feet before slamming into a wall. He quickly shakes off the impact; only to find a flock of small-automated gun emplacements

"Let's see how you like my automated defenses, Dinobot!" Megatron laughs as the guns open fire upon Dinobus.

Dinobus tries to shield himself with his swords; but the cannons are too much. A row of panels slide open behind him to reveal an exit; and the pummeling of laser fire overpowers Dinobus; causing him to collapse and fall backwards.

Airazor and Tigatron turn just in time to see Dinobus fall stories through the air; knocked out cold from the blasts; and slam full force into the ground.

"By the Matrix; NO!" Tigatron screams as Airazor rushes off towards the offline and severely injured Dinobus.

Not far off; Cheetor rockets across the land at top speed; rushing back towards the skyscraper of a robot that Megatron has become.

Just then he hears the sounds of jets above him; and looks up to see a sleek silver jet swoop down and open fire upon him.

"Scorponok…TERRORIZE!" Scorponok yells as he transforms in mid air and lands a few feet from the now transformed Cheetor.

"Normally I might be surprised that you're alive; but I've got more important things to think about at the moment!" Cheetor sneers.

"Eat slag Maximal!" Scorponok yells as he loads a small cannon on top of his arm and opens fire upon Cheetor.

Cheetor quickly rushes him and tackles him to the ground before any of the blasts hit him; pinning his arms to the ground.

"Get off of me!" Scorponok yells as he tries to wedge his legs in-between them. "I don't have time for this!" Cheetor growls; desperately trying to wear out Scorponok.

A couple of miles away…

"Hmm...perhaps now would be a good time to escape while I have enough Energon reserves…" Megatron ponders to himself quietly. He nods and transforms; his gears sliding and shifting as his parts retract and reconfigure; changing him into the mighty Antagony warship.

He levitates just above the ground; transferring power to his engines.

"We've got to stop him!" Depth Charge commands to Tigatron and Airazor as they aid Dinobus.

"Allow me!" a muffled voice states; causing Depth Charge to turn and see a small spot in the mountain Megatron moved start to crack and break.

Suddenly Optimus smashes through; hovering in the air as he gets his bearings.

"What?" Megatron screams as he hears Optimus's voice.

"You're not going _anywhere_!" Primal shouts as he zooms towards Megatron at full speed and latching onto his rear engines.

Rocket fire blasts out from his 6 main engines as Optimus struggles to fight of the intense heat. With a mighty growl; he manages to rip apart one of Megatron's engines!

It starts to pop and fizzle as Megatron howls in anger.

"Fine then Primal; if you wish to die that much; allow me to fulfill your wish!" Megatron booms as he rotates around and opens rows of cluster bombs on the front of the ship.

"Oh slag…" Depth Charge comments in stark realization.

Airazor slings Dinobus onto her shoulder quickly as Tigatron and Depth Charge run like hell away from Megatron.

Megatron opens fire; rows of timed missiles launching in sequence out of several missile bays.

The missiles careen through the air; slamming into the ground near the fleeing Maximals; exploding and sending them flying into the air end over end.

"Hehehe…ahahahaha!" Megatron screams as he transforms back into robot mode; each giant section of his body grinding as it moves into place.

Depth Charge flies towards him; hoping to catch him off guard while in mid-transformation; but Megatron reacts quickly and punches him in mid-air; sending him speeding in a downward spiral into the side of the now nearby mountain.

Elsewhere…

"Well…at least we're alone now!" Nemesis comments; looking around as she sits tied-up next to Waspinator.

"Can you break free?" Waspinator asks. "I should be able to…" Nemesis begins as she carefully maneuvers her hand and grabs one of her swords.

With an expert move; she manages to spear one of the electro-bond connectors and break the bond. She repeats it on the second ring; freeing herself.

She quickly rises to her feet and stretches; finally able to move again.

"Well…" Waspinator begins. "Well what?" Nemesis comments; staring at him menacingly.

"Get me out of these bonds!" Waspinator growls.

"No…" Nemesis begins, "…You've changed. Megatron did something to you; you ain't the same stupid little boy-toy I fell in love with; you're…different."

"Megatron showed me who I truly am! My name is now Thrust!" Waspinator growls.

"Save it Waspinator; I don't want to hear it!" She yells; punching him square in the face.

His head bobbles around for a second. "Wazpinator feeling dizzy…" he stutters out in his Waspinator voice.

"Waspinator? Is that _really _you?" Nemesis asks; unsure of what just happened.

"Wazpinator not feel so good. Wazpinator not remember what happen…" Waspinator buzzes out before falling over on his side; out cold.

"Hmm…" Nemesis ponders to herself quietly.

"Ugh; sometimes I hate myself!" She grumbles as she whips out her sword and slashes the two electro-bonds that hold Waspinator; freeing him. She tosses him onto her shoulder and quickly races off.

Meanwhile…

"Should we aid them?" Silverbolt asks Rhinox as they stand on the other side of the mountain; hidden from view by the others.

"No, for the moment no one seems to have noticed our absence. I say we just wait, watch and see what happens." Rhinox replies.

On the other side…

Megatron stands triumphantly over the landscape laughing as the Maximals try their hardest to bring him down with bombardments of laser fire.

"You know; an idea occurred to me Optimus…" Megatron begins; ignoring the blasts they deliver to his body.

"…I was thinking; now that I have a super-powerful long-range missile launcher; why not test it?" Megatron smoothly states; looking down directly at Optimus.

Suddenly Optimus stops; realizing just what Megatron's hinting at.

"What's in the slag's wrong with you Primal?" Depth Charge shouts; continuing to fire upon Megatron.

"Megatron's going to destroy the Ark!" Primal screams in horror.

"Ah yes; the first to figure things out; as always…" Megatron grins; aligning his cannon at a mountain range over 1,000 miles away; "…But that shall avail you not; for you nor none of your pathetic Maximals can stop me now!"

Megatron laughs as he brings Mt. St. Hilary into his targeting system; which is built into his optics.

Tigatron and Airazor stare in fear as they see Megatron align his cannon and begin charging it up. They look at each other in silence; not saying a word; and nod at each other.

"Tigatron, Airazor; NOOO!" Optimus commands as he sees them stare at Megatron's cannon.

"We've come to our decision Optimus; do not try to stop us. We owe it to this world to protect it; and to you as well. We died once at Megatron's hands; and now it's time to say 'Thank you!'" Tigatron growls as Airazor hoists him onto her back.

"No! I won't lose you again!" Optimus shouts; but Depth Charge holds him back. "Let them go. If you stop them; you'll only doom us all." he somberly states; his head hung in shame.

"Megatron; you're insane! You'll be killing yourself too!" Optimus screams.

"Oh I think not…" Megatron grins; as he opens a window on his chest and reveals two sparks. "You see; I took the liberty of removing the original Megatron's spark when I was in the Ark the last time; so you see; I shall survive and you all shall not!"

Megatron charges up fully and fires a single missile at full speed towards Mt. St. Hilary.

Tigatron rides on Airazor's back as she flies as fast as she can after the missile.

Ground whooshes by underneath them like lines of color as they try to catch up to the missile. "It's…no use! I can't…catch up to it…" Airazor stammers out as she flies as fast as she can.

Tigatron grabs her hand in his; "If we give up now; time itself will no longer exist! We have to be strong; we have to stop that missile; no matter what it costs!"

Suddenly their bodies begin to glow as a brilliant green light engulfs them in mid-air; shining so brilliantly it out shines the Sun for a few moments.

The glowing fades; and a new figure emerges from the light. "LET'S STOP THIS MISSILE!" Their combined voices boom as the newly reborn and reformatted Tigerhawk zooms through the air.

Tigerhawk plows through the air like it's not even there; shattering the sound barrier and rocketing through the air so fast, a trail of smoke streams off of their body and leaves a trail extending miles behind them.

The powerful entity catches up to the missile in no time flat and grabs onto the rocket. Tigerhawk tries to stop the missile; but the rocket fights back; and they start moving forward again.

"WE…MUST…STOP…THIS…NOW! NO…MORE…LIVES…CAN…BE…LOST!" Tigerhawk's dual voice screams as they strain to hold the missile at bay. They raise their twin-cannons from their back and aim them at the missile.

"…AND... IF…THAT…MEANS…THAT…WE…MUST…DIE…TO…SAVE…THE...FUTURE…" Tigerhawk states; the sadness in his voice apparent; "…THEN…LET…THE…TRAILS…LEAD…WHERE…THEY…MAY; …WE…WILL…FOLLOW!"

Tigerhawk screams with a powerful bellow and opens fire; and the missile explodes!

A shockwave ripples across the ground; shattering rocks and boulders as it spreads out across the landscape with a sound louder than 1,000 freight trains. A gigantic fireball blossoms outward; casting a red glow on the surrounding lands.

"NNOOOOOOOOOO!" Optimus screams as he sees the fireball explode; followed shortly by the ground rippling and the sounds of Tigerhawk's death scream.

"Blast it all!" Megatron screams; slamming his foot into the ground.

"Oh well; you know what they say…if at first you don't succeed…" he begins as he raises his cannon and takes aim again, "…Try, try again!"

"Oh no you don't!" Depth Charge yells as he takes off into the air.

He grabs his sword and aims it directly in front of him. "And I always thought Rampage was a lunatic…" he states sarcastically as he flies towards Megatron's arm.

"Huh?" Megatron states as he notices Depth Charge flying towards his arm. "This time; you lose Megatron!" Depth Charge screams.

He slams into Megatron's arm; causing a chain reaction explosion that ripples through his arm; causing it to shatter and blow apart.

Megatron bellows in pain as his arm snaps apart; sending the end of his arm falling stories to the ground below. Megatron stumbles from the explosion; barely grabbing his footing before falling over.

"That…was impressive…" Megatron growls as he looks around for Depth Charge.

He and Optimus happen to look at the same spot at the same time; and see only a few scattered and shattered pieces of Depth Charge lying spread around on the ground.

"Well…it would appear that I don't need to kill you Maximals after all…" Megatron begins, his open shoulder sparking from the damage; "…It would appear that you're killing yourselves for me!"

"Damn you Megatron!" Optimus screams as he zooms as fast as he can and slams into Megatron's stomach; causing him to stumble a little.

"Why don't you just sacrifice yourself like they just did; it'll make your death so much easier for me!" Megatron retorts; smacking Optimus away with his huge hand.

Optimus falls through the air and slams into the mountain just as Cheetor arrives on the scene.

"What happened?" Cheetor yells. "Tigatron, Airazor and Depth Charge have all been killed!" Blackarachnia shouts to him.

"What?" Cheetor's jaw drops in shock. Suddenly, a laser blast strikes him in the back; knocking him over.

"Perfect…Now I can kill you too!" Megatron grins as he activates his spinning saw-blade and plows it into the ground a few hundred feet from Cheetor.

Scorponok emerges onto the scene; and tackles Cheetor, who lies on his back on the ground. "Thought you could escape me that easily?" Scorponok states; pinning Cheetor to the ground.

Cheetor desperately tries to push Scorponok off; when he looks upward and sees the ground; and Megatron's giant blade slicing through it; coming towards him.

"Hey claws; you know how they say that cats have 9 lives?" Cheetor asks Scorponok. "Yeah; what about it?" Scorponok asks.

"Well; scorpions don't!" Cheetor screams; activating his back-mounted rocket and lifting himself into the air. He catches Scorponok totally off-guard and flings him over his shoulders and into Megatron's spinning saw-blades!

Scorponok screams as his body is torn apart by Megatron's blade; and a few seconds later Megatron realizes what just happened and stops his blade.

"Eeehhh…that wasn't supposed to happen…" Megatron mutters quietly in slight disgust.

Not far off…

"We need a plan to bring Megatron down!" Optimus tells Rattrap and Blackarachnia.

"Heh; as you have witnessed; dere ain't nothin' that's gonna penetrate that hide of his!" Rattrap remarks. still limping.

"Wait…" Optimus begins; as he recalls when Megatron showed him the spark of the original Megatron within him.

"What is it?" Blackarachnia asks him. "Perhaps that's where we're going wrong." Optimus states.

"What in the name of Gouda are you talkin' about?" Rattrap asks. "We've been trying to attack his physical structure; and that's not where he's vulnerable…" Optimus states as he speaks with his hands.

"The Oracle told me that there were other ways to defeat an enemy other than to kill them…perhaps this is what it was talking about!" Optimus announces.

"Rattrap; I need you, Blackarachnia and Cheetor to…" Optimus begins as a pair of optics watch him from a short distance away in some bushes.

"Hmm…" Nemesis ponders out loud as she listens to Optimus talk.

"Wazpinator not feel so good…" Waspinator holds his head; now walking around behind her.

"Clamp it Buzz-Boy!" she growls, "…This could be very interesting…"

Back with Cheetor…

"Thank the Matrix you two are alright!" Cheetor shouts as he sees Blackarachnia and Rattrap rush towards him.

"You ain't never gonna believe what the boss-monkey has in mind!" Rattrap shouts. "Literally." Blackarachnia chimes in.

Optimus sits down on a rock not far from the other Maximals and Megatron; and begins to concentrate.

"_Megatron…if you're spark can hear me; answer me…_" Optimus speaks softly as he closes his optics and concentrates on trying to link up with Megatron.

Suddenly Megatron bellows in pain as he grabs his head. "NNOOO! Get out!" Megatron screams.

Megatron looks around; and sees nothing besides space and stars. "_So, you wish to speak to me here; on the astral plane…_" Megatron states as he looks around and sees Optimus appear before him.

"_You've lost touch with reality Megatron…you're insane. If I have to stop you this way; then so be it!_" Optimus shouts as he punches Megatron in the stomach; his fist's impact rippling across his stomach almost in slow motion.

Megatron grabs his stomach in pain. "_But…but how_?"

"_You do not truly understand the Oracle as I do_…" Optimus begins as his optics start to glow a fierce white; and his voice appears to have many other voices blended into it; "…_It is the Oracle's will that you be stopped_!"

"_Ha! You know nothing of the Oracle's will! I was the one who the Oracle told to…_" Megatron begins.

"_All lies…_" Optimus states; his voice taken over by the Oracle.

Megatron growls; looking up at him with tremendous anger. "_No one plays Megatron for a fool…NO ONE! I will make you pay…not only with your life; but every life in this universe!_" Megatron screams.

"_Empty threats…you do not have the power to take every life in the universe…_" Optimus states; the Oracle speaking through him.

"_So we shall see…_" Megatron smirks.

Outside of Megatron's body.

"Hmm, I think this is the quietest he's ever been!" Rattrap laughs sarcastically as Megatron stands immobilized.

"Quit with the wise cracks and just do it already!" Blackarachnia shouts.

"Alright, alright…" Rattrap states as he pops off one of Megatron's circuit panels and attaches a charge to it.

"Is it set?" Cheetor asks. Rattrap turns and gives him the thumbs up. "Good; then let's hightail it out of here!" Cheetor yells as they all run away.

Nearby…

"Well, so much for Megatron winning…" Rhinox sighs. "So, what do we do?" Silverbolt asks.

"I say we rejoin the Maximals again…" Rhinox states with a sly grin.

Back with Megatron's body…

The demolition charge ticks away for a few more seconds; and then explodes. The explosion shorts out the power in Megatron's right leg; causing it to freeze up.

Back on the astral plane…

"_AARRRGGHH!_" Megatron screams in pain.

"_Good; it's done!_" Optimus states; now himself again. He rushes Megatron; catching him unaware and slams into him.

"_What are you doing?_" Megatron screams. "_I'm putting you back where you belong!_" Optimus screams.

Outside of Megatron's body; Cheetor, Blackarachnia and Rattrap see two sparks zoom out of Megatron's body and race around in the air.

"What in the world is that?" Rattrap asks. "Bigbot did it!" Cheetor announces in triumph.

The sparks fly around; as one of the sparks splits into two suddenly. One of the new sparks zooms off in the direction of Mt. St. Hilary; and the other is shoved back into the dead chassis of Transmetal 2 Megatron.

The sole remaining spark rushes back into the body of Optimus Primal.

"You did it Bigbot!" Cheetor screams as he and the others rush over to Optimus. "Yes…the Oracle was right all along…" Optimus states as he regains consciousness.

"Oh I wouldn't be too triumphant yet Maximals; nooooo…" A voice states; and they turn to see dragon Megatron standing a few feet away from them.

"Initiate self-destruct sequence; voice code: Megatron BBA-12!" Megatron shouts into his intercom as sirens begin to go off in the ship.

Optimus walks towards Megatron as Megatron grins evilly at him. Without so much as a word; Optimus reaches back and punches Megatron out cold.

"Let's get out of here!" Optimus states; leaving Megatron behind.

"Wait!" a voice calls out; and they all turn to see Rhinox and Silverbolt standing near Megatron.

"Where have you two been?" Cheetor shouts. "We were fighting Megatron. Didn't you see us?" Silverbolt states.

"No…" Cheetor replies uneasily. "Well; then you weren't looking hard enough!" Silverbolt replies.

"You feelin' alright there 'Bolt?" Rattrap asks. "Yeah, I'm fine, but…" Silverbolt begins.

"But what? We need to get going! That ship'll explode in less than a minute!" Optimus states; hearing the countdown timer in the background.

"You need to take Megatron with you." Rhinox states.

"Why?" Blackarachnia asks. "Our mission was to capture Megatron and return him to Cybertron for trial. If we come back empty-handed; how do you think that'll look to Big Convoy and Lio Convoy?" Rhinox states; and Silverbolt nods slightly.

"Hmm…I suppose you're right…" Optimus states as he grabs the offline Megatron and slings him over his shoulder, "…Now let's go!"

"Not…without…me!" A voice states; and they turn to see Dinobus Prime stumbling towards them.

"Dinobus! He's still alive!" Cheetor shouts. "Quickly; get him! We have only 30 seconds to get clear of the blast!" Optimus shouts as he starts to run off carrying Megatron.

Cheetor and Rattrap help Dinobus as they all run away from the ship.

Not far away…

"Hmm…I think they've got the right idea!" Nemesis states as she transforms.

"Oooh goodie! Wazpinator will follow birdie-bot!" Waspinator chimes as he transforms and flies after Nemesis.

"Ugh…sometimes I wonder why I do the things I do…" she comments to herself.

Back at the ship…

The timer ticks away as they all race away from the ship as fast as they can.

"_10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…_" The ship's computer states as the time ends.

The ship explodes in a massive blast; sending several rings of fire out into the air as the sound of the explosion echoes across the land.

A while later; the Maximals make their way back to the downed Autobot shuttle; now partially freed from the dried mud in which it originally sank.

"Well; while we try to get the ship fully freed; it'll give our beast modes time to repair…" Optimus states; now in gorilla mode.

"Yeah; I'm just glad it's finally over…" Rattrap states; now in rat mode.

Dinobus stands a short distance away in tengu mode; lowering his head in silence.

"What is it Dinobus?" Optimus states; knuckle-walking towards Dinobus.

"I…I can not go with you…" he states somberly.

"What?" Cheetor asks. "Come on; you're a Prime now; I'm sure the Maximals will--" Rattrap begins.

"NO! They won't!" Dinobus screams; clenching his fists. "We've been over this time and time again! I can not go back with you! Even though I am a Prime now; those narrow-minded Maximals back on Cybertron will still view me as a criminal!"

"But we'll make sure that you're not treated as one!" Blackarachnia states.

"No, I feel my place is here; on Earth…" Dinobus begins, "…but thank you anyway for the offer."

"Ah man; I'm startin' to choke up here!" Rattrap sniffles, "Please, I lost you once, old friend; I don't wanna lose ya again!"

Dinobus walks over to him and places his hand upon his shoulder, "I'm sorry Rattrap; but my decision is made. I suppose in some perverse way; I shall miss you…" Dinobus chokes back his emotions, "…I'd better be going now."

"Dinobus…no…" Cheetor states in disbelief as Dinobus walks away.

"Farewell my comrades; I shall not forget you!" Dinobus states as he walks away; never looking back.

They all stare silently as they watch Dinobus leave; until they can see him no more.

"Well; it's done!" Rhinox shouts; breaking the mood.

They all turn to see that Silverbolt and Rhinox have freed the ship and clamped Megatron to the outer hull.

"Well; let's go home." Optimus states with a sigh as they all walk towards the ship.

Nearby in the bushes…

"Ewww…so sentimental!" Nemesis grumbles as she closes the part in the bushes she made and walks over towards Waspinator.

"Birdie-bot is going to love this!" Waspinator states with glee as he offers Nemesis a cup made out of a coconut shell filled with some sort of liquid.

Nemesis sighs loudly; "Well; I suppose this'll do until I find some way to get off this dirtball!"

She takes the cup and sits next to Waspinator on a thrown made of sticks and branches as early humanoids dance around them in celebration.

"Hmm…these pathetic fleshies are sure glad to see you back!" She laughs lightly as she hands her cup off to one of the little kids to get refilled.

"Ah yes; fleshy-bots love Wazpinator!" Waspinator smiles as he turns to Nemesis; "…But not as much as Wazpinator love birdie-bot!"

Nemesis laughs lightly; "As long as you let me use you for target practice; I guess it's a fair trade."

They lean in towards each other when the sound of the ship taking off distracts them. They watch as the ship rockets off into the atmosphere until it's out of sight.

"Hmm…Wazpinator wonder if Maximals come back again ever…" Waspinator states.

"Well…let's just hope not…" Nemesis states seductively; rubbing Waspinator's chin.

"Ah; Wazpinator happy at last…" Waspinator grins, "…again!"

**Author's Notes:**

Well; the Myth Wars are over…or are they?

What will happen to Dinobus Prime? What about Waspinator and Nemesis?

And what will happen to Megatron and the Maximals?

Watch for the exciting and epic 3-part conclusion to Myth Wars; coming soon!


	24. Episode 76: Other Ventures, Pt 1

**'Myth Wars': Episode 76: "Other Ventures: Part 1: The New War ":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

"So, this is how it ends…" Megatron ponders to himself as he lays spread-eagle on top of the Autobot escape shuttle; clamped down with electro-bonds. "…Once I was a great leader, with troops, a base, and an agenda; but now…now, I am…dare I use the term…defeated…"

Inside the ship…

"Man; I can't believe it! We're finally headed back to Cybertron!" Rattrap screams; dancing in celebration.

"Doesn't he ever rest?" Cheetor comments sarcastically. "Apparently not…" Silverbolt grumbles; seated not far away.

_Poor Megatron…_ Rhinox thinks to himself as he pilots the ship back towards Cybertron, _…I have to do something; but what?_

Meanwhile; elsewhere in the shuttle…

Blackarachnia walks to a small room and taps on the door lightly. A voice merely grumbles, "Enter."; and the door slides open.

"Optimus; I wanted to ask to ask you something…" Blackarachnia begins, walking towards Optimus; who is seated in a large chair, staring at the floor.

"Yes…" Optimus begins, looking up only a little. "Well; it's about Silverbolt. He seems…different. I can't really explain it; it's like he's distant; unsure of himself; and greatly troubled by something; but he won't tell me what it is."

"So I've noticed…" Optimus states. "Huh?" Blackarachnia questions; looking surprised. "Yes; it seems that a couple of the crew members are acting strangely. I…I don't feel as though I can trust in Rhinox anymore. He's…he's just not the same; but I can't place my finger on what it is that's different about him."

"What's going on?" Blackarachnia asks. "I don't know…I just don't know…" Optimus states with a sigh as he lowers his head again. Blackarachnia places a finger on her lip; then lowers it as she turns and leaves the room.

The door closes behind her; and she looks to the front of the ship. "Whatever's wrong with you Silverbolt; I'll get to the bottom of it!"

Meanwhile, on the outside of the ship…

"Why am I defeated? My _loyal_ troops; that's why! Those imbeciles! It's all their fault!" Megatron screams; but then he suddenly starts to grin insanely.

"Hmm…so the Oracle was right after all…that's the answer…" he begins; as he stares at the stars zooming past him; "…It's all caused by individuality. No individual minds to disobey me equals perfection! Yes! Oh yesss! That's it! I have to capture all the sparks; then and only then will I achieve true victory! All through one single guiding intelligence…MINE!"

Back inside the ship…

"So, are we there yet?" Rattrap asks into Rhinox's ear after he sneaks up behind him. "Argh; do you mind? I'm busy!" Rhinox grumbles; shoving Rattrap aside.

Rattrap skids across the ship and slides into the wall. "Jeesh; what's your problem?" he grumbles, standing to his feet.

_No wonder Megatron hates these Maximals…_ Rhinox thinks to himself; grumbling a little at the same time.

A few cycles pass with no one saying a word, when Optimus exits the small room and enters the main cabin.

"So; are we there yet?" Optimus asks politely to Rhinox. "Oh not you too!" Rhinox growls; slamming his fist into the control panel.

Optimus looks at him in shock; and grabs him by the shoulder. "O.K.; I don't know what's going on here; but I'm tired of it! You've been acting strangely lately; and I want some answers!" Optimus shouts at him.

Rhinox stares back at him; grinding his teeth together. For a brief moment Optimus thinks he sees something in Rhinox's optic; a reflection of a single-optic bot with a tank turret on his back.

Suddenly Rhinox shoves Optimus back and rises to his feet. "Just leave me alone Optimus! I'm tired, I'm on edge, and I'm sick of piloting this ship and handling astro-navigations all by myself! So just back off!"

Optimus stands a few feet away; with the others huddled behind him. "Take it easy Rhinox; just calm down. If that's the problem; we can let someone else pilot the ship for a while."

Rhinox stares at him; and slowly unclenches his fists. "Alright; perhaps I could use some rest…" he trails off.

"Rattrap; handle astro-navigations. I'll take the helm for a while. Rhinox…" Optimus looks at Rhinox; who's still a little tense; "…just rest. You deserve it."

_Hmm… _Rhinox thinks to himself, _…I've finally got it all figured out; but I can't press the button while they're looking. If only they'd leave me alone! _Suddenly, Rhinox notices that everyone has turned around; looking towards the back of the ship at something. _Perfect; now's my chance! No will suspect it was me…_

Rhinox presses a button; and proceeds to walk towards Optimus and the others. "Well, I'll see you all later. I'm taking a nap." he states as he walks past the others. They look at him with silent stares; then move to their assigned areas.

On the outside of the ship, one of the electro-bonds that holds Megatron down suddenly vaporizes and frees one of his arms.

"By the pit; what's going on here?" Megatron shouts, noticing his newly freed arm.

Back inside…

"Uh, Optimus…" Rattrap begins. "What is it?" Optimus asks. "You ain't gonna believe this; but one of ol' Megabutt's bonds just broke!"

Everyone in the ship; including Rhinox; turns and stares towards the front of the ship at them. "What?" Cheetor shouts in shock. "That's impossible!" Blackarachnia adds.

"Really? You shock me Rattrap…" Rhinox grins a little.

"Quickly; see if you can reconnect the bonds via remote-access. I'll head out there and see if I can do anything." Optimus commands.

Just then; the ship jolts and sends everyone crashing about the cockpit in a flurry of bodies.

Outside, Megatron slams his arm against the ship; causing it to thrash around from the tremendous force. "No force in this universe shall ever chain down Megatron again!" He screams as he snaps off the bond holding his other arm down.

"Optimus! We're entering the final stage of the transwarp jump! If we enter like this; we might not survive!" Blackarachnia states as she hangs onto the pilot's chair; noticing the ship's control settings.

"Primus help us all!" Optimus shouts as he holds onto another chair; staring out the windshield at the kaleidoscope of colors from transwarp space outside the ship.

Megatron rips off the main bond holding him down; and gets sucked off the ship violently.

"Well; that's the end of Megatron!" Rattrap shouts as he sees Megatron zoom past them and vanish into a tiny point of light.

_I can only hope…_Optimus thinks to himself as the crew continues to bounce around the ship.

Meanwhile; back on prehistoric Earth…

"Hmm…why Birdie-bot gone so long?" Waspinator asks; reclining in his throne. He sighs loudly and flicks a rock at one of the proto-humans; who's carving a sculpture of Waspinator.

The rock hits him in the back of the head; and the proto-human growls with anger as he turns to face Waspinator.

"Huh?" Waspinator comments as he sees the proto-human start to speak in their grunt-language to the other nearby proto-humans.

A few seconds later; the other proto-humans nod in agreement and walk towards Waspinator. "Oh no…Wazpinator sense much trouble coming…" He gulps as the humans grab him and carry him off.

Meanwhile, in the nearby bushes; someone watches as Waspinator tries to fight back against the proto-humans; but they manage to hold him and carry him off.

The figure in bushes grumbles and closes the part in the bushes as he turns to walk away. "How pathetic; he can't even defend himself against a group of anthropoids!" Dinobus Prime states as he walks away.

He walks towards a nearby river; and peers into the water. "So; this is my destiny. To be here; on Earth; awaiting the day when the Autobots and Decepticons will awaken and start the Great War; with only Waspinator, Nemesis and a group of anthropoids as company…" He grumbles as he stares at his reflection, "…How…disappointing…"

Suddenly; the reflection in the water begins to change; and he sees Rattrap staring back at him. But as soon as he blinks, the image disappears and his own reflection returns.

"Why does my mind keep going back to him?" Dinobus asks rhetorically. "That vile rodent; why do I keep thinking about him"

Dinobus slowly looks upward into the night sky; and stares out at the stars. "Could it be…that in some perverse way I actually miss him?"

Just then Dinobus hears a loud noise from off in the distance; and transforms into beast mode and flies towards the sound.

Back with Waspinator…

"Why fleshy-bots hate Wazpinator? Please don't hurt Wazpinator!" he yells as the proto-humans place Waspinator into a giant catapult; one Nemesis and him helped them build to fend off rival tribes.

"Noo! Wazpinator not want to go for ride! Fleshy-bots; listen to Wazpinator!" he pleads as they pull the arm of the catapult down and ready it to fire.

"Why everyone hate Wazpinaaaaaatttttttttoooooorrrrrrrrr?" He screams as they fire the catapult; sending him flying off into the distance.

Waspinator flies through the air; screaming the whole way; and slams into the ground with a fierce thud; bouncing a short distance before skidding to a halt.

"Waspinator? What're you doing here?" Nemesis states; lifting up Waspinator's head; which has disconnected from his body.

"Birdie-bot!" he smiles at her as she shakes her head with sad disbelief.

Not far away; Dinobus rushes towards the area where he heard the sound when he notices Nemesis holding Waspinator's head a few hundred meters ahead. He quickly ducks behind a large rock formation and watches silently.

"Where birdie-bot go?" Waspinator's head asks her. "I've been…busy…" she calmly replies.

Dinobus looks around the side of the rock and his jaw drops in shock at what he sees.

"Birdie-bot find ship?" Waspinator's head asks. She picks up his torso and reattaches his head to it.

"Yes, I found a ship…" she begins, "…and from what I can tell; it's the one that the Vok agents took here. I didn't know that they even had a ship; but from the residue left behind on the interior and the markings on the controls; that's my best guess."

"Why birdie-bot need ship?" Waspinator asks; pulling himself together again. "Because; unlike you; I don't like those knuckle-dragging friends of yours! I want to get off of this piece of slag planet; and I was lucky enough to run across this ship while I was out on one of my late-night strolls." she states.

"Interesting…" Dinobus comments to himself quietly.

"So, why we waiting? Let's go!" Waspinator states; nearly fully assembled. "What? Don't you want to say goodbye to your friends first?" Nemesis comments sarcastically. "No, fleshy-bots kick Wazpinator out of tribe; they not like Wazpinator anymore." he replies.

She raises an eyebrow in question; but then nods in agreement. "Alright; then let's hit it!" she states; turning towards the ship.

"Hmm…it appears that I have reached a crossroads…" Dinobus ponders to himself. "I can either stay here; and risk never being able to leave; or try to get aboard that ship and go back to Cybertron. On one hand; I might be treated as a traitor and a criminal; but on the other hand; maybe the Maximals can persuade the others to see that I have indeed changed; that I am now so much more than I used to be…"

Just then he hears the doors begin to creak as they start to close. "Alas; it appears that I once again have no choice at all! Blast that vile vermin!" he growls as he transforms into robot mode and runs as fast as he can towards the closing doors. He dives and barely manages to get inside the ship before the doors fully close behind him.

At the front of the ship; Nemesis examines the controls as Waspinator stands nearby.

"Idiot; help me with this control here. I need someone to watch this as we take off." she states.

"Why birdie-bot always mean to Wazpinator?" he asks sadly. "Because I love you…" she states; her smile faintly visible behind her vail.

"Ugh!" Dinobus mutters quietly in disgust in the back of the ship; barely able to hear their conversation.

Nemesis waves her hand in front of a orb in the control panel; and drags a finger across a small screen next to the orb; leaving a light trail on the screen. The ship starts to rattle and shake lightly as the underside engines begin to boot up.

"How birdie-bot know how to pilot ship?" Waspinator asks. "Let's just say I've had some time to 'experiment' with the controls…" she smoothly replies as she presses four fingers into the small screen and drags them forward on the screen; leaving the same light trails as before.

The ship lifts off into the air; and takes off into the night sky; apparently using no thrusters at all.

Meanwhile…on Cybertron…

"How's my cables?" a female bot asks another bot standing nearby as she fiddles with her ponytail-like cables hanging off of the back of her head. "It looks fine Reflex; can we start the report now?" the other bot asks impatiently. "Oh, right…" she giggles; gaining her composure.

"Greetings Maximals! Your roving reporter Reflex here; reporting live at what may be the single greatest discovery in Cybertronian history!" she states; speaking into a microphone that is attached to her arm.

The tall; slender robot with a sleek and smooth face turns to another bot; standing near her. He towers over her; silent now like he was before while she was getting ready.

She turns and faces the towering blue robot. "I'm here with Cryotek; the lead scientist on the team that made this astonishing discovery. Some of you may still remember him as the bot that aided Megatron and Gigatron during the infamous Golden Disks thefts so many stellar cycles ago; but a lot has changed since then. He's now one of the most respected scientists on Cybertron; Maximal or not; and has been more than helpful in his contributions to science and chemical research."

"Uh yes, thank you Ms. Reflex…" Cryotek states with a slight grin. "Oh please; just call me Reflex; you're embarrassing me..." she giggles and smiles at him.

"Alright, Reflex…as I was saying, I've been working the head Maximal research team on this since it was last discovered about 10 stellar cycles ago; and I feel that we are finally able to reveal to the general populace our discoveries." Cryotek states.

"First off, let me ask you this, why all the secrecy?" Reflex asks. "We wanted to be sure about what we had discovered first; we couldn't risk alerting the public to something that may have turned out to be false." Cryotek replies.

"O.K.; and now that you are sure of it; what is it that you have discovered?" Reflex asks him; focusing on him with her head-mounted camera.

"We have discovered that Cybertron was once organic; and supported organic life." Cryotek states.

Reflex looks at him in surprise; but maintains her professional composure. "Wow; that _is_ a discovery! I'm speechless!" she states.

"Yes; we were as well when we firstly found the dirt and rocks; and even more so with the first fossilized bones." Cryotek states, "We came across them accidentally while searching the remains of one of the numerous buried holdouts of the last Decepticon rebels towards the end of the Great War."

"Amazing. And what did you do next?" Reflex asks him.

"Well, as you can imagine, this took precedence; and we devoted all our time and resources to exploring the site even more after that. Over several stellar cycles; we gathered samples; conducted experiments; and did as much research as possible on why and how the organic material was there. Luckily for us; the two remaining members of the Maximal High Council; LioConvoy and Big Convoy; were nice enough to let us have full access to top-secret files regarding Cybertron's past; for which we are deeply grateful." Cryotek nods politely.

"Well; are you at liberty to say what you and your team believe is the explanation for the organic remains?" Reflex asks.

"Yes, we have been granted permission to say. We believe that it's somehow tied into the second Golden Age of Cybertron; shortly after the Nebulon battles. Some records state that Cybertron was destroyed after the Great War; but that is; as you can see; false. Apparently; Scorponok was working with the Quintessons; and one Quint in particular; Alpha Q. Scorponok made it appear that Cybertron was destroyed; when in fact it was reformatted by Alpha Q into an organic planet based off of Earth and it's lifeforms. This was fine and dandy for a while; but Scorponok soon grew tired of living there; and went onto his own agenda with Galvatron. Alpha Q decided to just return the planet back to normal; but left the remnants of the civilization below the surface as a kind of riddle for future generations of Cybertronians." Cryotek explains.

"Wow; that's amazing!" Reflex states. "Yes, indeed. We're just surprised that no one discovered this earlier." Cryotek states.

"Of course; this is just a hypothesis; right?" Reflex asks. "Of course." Cryotek states, "But we feel it's the truth."

Just then they both hear something faint; and turn to see a small object plunge into the atmosphere far off in the distance.

Reflex quickly transforms into a camera and lands on her tripod legs. Cryotek looks through her viewer and focuses in on the incoming object.

"Oh no…it can't be…" he states with a slight tone of fear.

"What is it?" Reflex asks; unable to make out the object herself. "I…I have to go. It's been a real pleasure!" Cryotek states hastily as he rushes off.

"Reflex…MAXIMIZE!" she shouts as she transforms and looks around for Cryotek; but he's no where to be seen.

"Well; this is Reflex; signing off. I'll bring you coverage of this new development as it becomes available." she states as she cuts the feed.

Elsewhere…

Cryotek flies through the Cybertronian skies at full speed; narrowly dodging the heavy traffic that fills the skies of Cybertron. Even as a wide-winged jet; he's still not quite fast enough to catch up with the incoming object.

A few cycles later; he finally reaches the spot where the object made impact. Numerous buildings and bridges are in ruins from the tremendous impact of the mysterious object.

Cryotek quickly transforms and makes his way down the tunnel created by the object; and drops his jaw in shock at what he sees.

"I was right…" he states as he picks up the unconscious body of Megatron.

Elsewhere, in space…

"Well; we should be at one of the Predacon outposts within the next 36 mega-cycles." Nemesis states; waving her hand in front of the orb in a different direction, "…I'll leave it on auto-pilot for a while."

Waspinator lies on floor in the corner; fast asleep. "Well; hopefully my friends on that outpost remember me; or else we might be in for some fun." she mutters sarcastically as she sits down next to Waspinator.

"Hmm…one of the Predacon outposts…" Dinobus quietly mutters to himself, "…I guess I'll have to just wait until they leave before heading to Cybertron then."

Back on Cybertron…

"Ow…where…am I?" Megatron states; his optics slowly coming back online. He peers around the room at his surroundings and sees a lab setup; with beakers and test equipment everywhere.

"You're back on Cybertron, old friend." a voice states; and Megatron sits up to see Cryotek standing at the edge of the bed on which Megatron is lying.

"Cryotek? How in the slag did you find me?" Megatron asks. "Well; you weren't hard to find; speaking that you nearly burned up in the atmosphere and left a trail that a blind Piranhacon could follow." Cryotek remarks sarcastically.

"Oh, so I see…" Megatron comments, sitting up. "You've been badly damaged; I suggest you try not to move so much." Cryotek states.

"I see the Maximals are still in charge." Megatron states. "What gave you that indication?" Cryotek asks as he fiddles with some lab equipment. "You talk like a Maximal now…" Megatron scowls.

Cryotek looks at him; but says nothing. "So; how'd you know it was me?" Megatron asks. "Well; I'm not sure if you remember; but there's a Maximal reporter named Reflex here. We heard and saw you coming through the atmosphere; but while she was just looking at you coming through the atmosphere, without a doubt; I was scanning you. That's how I knew it was you." Cryotek replies.

"You always were clever; at least the Maximals didn't take that away from you." Megatron states. "Don't get me wrong Megatron; I still hate the Maximals as much as I used to; I just don't show it as I used to. I'm not the same criminal you remember; I'm more mature now. The Maximals trust me now." Cryotek comments.

"Oh really?" Megatron asks with wonder. "Yes really." Cryotek replies; swirling a beaker of green liquid around with his hand, "As a matter of fact; the Maximals and I had just finished up our report on a major discovery when you happened to show up."

"Oh?" Megatron queries. "Yes. We found remnants of organic life right here on Cybertron!" Cryotek states.

Megatron slams his fist into the bed; cracking it slightly. Cryotek drops the beaker; startled. "BAH! I thought I had left that all behind me on Earth! I can't believe that there's actually organic material here on Cybertron!" Megatron screams.

Cryotek walks over and stands in front of Megatron. "So, you were on Earth. I thought that sector of space was off-limits by the High Council?" Cryotek states. "Really now Cryotek; have you forgotten why I stole the Golden Disk in the first place?" Megatron asks with a sigh. "Oh…right…" Cryotek states sheepishly.

"But yes; I was on prehistoric Earth; just as I told you I would be before I left. I came so close to achieving my ultimate goal; but Optimus Primal and his Maximals had to interfere…" Megatron grumbles.

"Primal? His ship and yours went missing several stellar cycles ago. You mean that his crew pursued you?" Cryotek asks. "Indeed; and they were on their way back here when I managed to break free of the ship and get here." Megatron states.

Suddenly, something comes to Megatron. "Say, have Optimus Primal and his crew arrived yet?" Megatron asks. "No; I would have heard about that. I hear about almost everything that goes on thanks my connections with the Maximals now." Cryotek states.

"Excellent…" Megatron states with an evil smirk.

"What're you thinking about Megatron?" Cryotek asks. "I believe it's time to fulfill my destiny, Cryotek." Megatron states; rising to his feet.

"You're still a little weak; I'm not even sure you'll fully recover." Cryotek states. _Oh well; I was planning on getting a new body anyway…_Megatron thinks to himself.

"Say Cryotek; you wouldn't be interested in, oh say, trading bodies; now would you?" Megatron asks him. Cryotek looks at him surprised, "Um…well…I do kind of like your new form; but still; I'm not sure…"

"Well; just think about it. Right now we have to act quickly if we are to be victorious. I need you to make a virus; one that will wipe out the bodies of all the Transformers on Cybertron. How I don't care; vaporize them; disintegrate them; or just plain old disable the bodies and make them empty shells. But I do care about the sparks; they need to be untouched. This is crucial; the sparks can not be harmed!" Megatron states.

"Um…just what do you have in mind?" Cryotek asks. "Genocide!" Megatron grins as he clenches his fist in victory.

"Well…I'll see what I can do…" Cryotek states. "Yes; and in the mean time; I shall make arrangements of my own…" Megatron laughs as he quickly rushes off down a hallway.

"I just hope he knows what he's doing this time; I don't want a repeat of the Golden Disk incident." Cryotek comments as he begins his work.

A few cycles later; not far away…

A pair of guards stand in front of a building, when out of nowhere a silhouetted figure jumps out in front of them and fires a fireball at each one; killing them almost instantly. The figure's glowing red optics stare through the smoke as a red hand extends out and presses a button; opening the doors to the building.

Inside; the figure walks down the main hallway. Surrounding him on both sides are giant automated production lines; casting, making and assembling parts for bodies for Transformers.

"This is the perfect place to begin the glorious reign of Megatron…" the figure states as he walks up to the main control panel and hacks into it. Megatron proceeds to look up old war schematics on file in the computer.

"Hmm…too bad I didn't have the Antagony schematics for my body…that blasted Primal forced me out of that body before I had a chance to download them!" Megatron grumbles as he pans through the files; looking for workable designs.

Finally; he comes across an old tank drone transformer blueprint. "Perfect…" he states as he presses a button and the production line begins casting, forming and assembling new parts for mindless tank drones.

"And now…" Megatron states as he pulls out a wire from his head and attaches it to the main control panel, "…to make all into one!"

He presses a button and howls in pain as energy surges through his body. Finally the energy output is too great and violently disconnects him; sending him flying across the room.

"Yes…oh yessss!" Megatron laughs evilly as he feels the power surge through his body. Waves of energon ripple across his body as his optic glow a brilliant white.

Suddenly; all of the completed drones turn on and stand up fully. Their weapons activate and begin spinning around as they charge up and blow a hole through the wall.

"_And so did the epic battle begin; as man, woman, and child were equals unto the eye of the master. 'No matter where you hide; I shall find you!' cried the master; an army of one behind him at full strength; 'For the era of peace is over; Armageddon has arrived!'"_ Megatron quoted as the newly created tank drones transformed into tank mode and rolled out of the factory and onto the streets.

Bots ran in terror as Megatron's drones drove through the streets; blowing up anything that stood in their way.

They rolled on unopposed as they reached their next target; another construction facility. "Now; I'm sure those no good Maximals will be coming soon with their finest warriors to battle me…I think I need to increase my arsenal while the other factory continues to make tank drones!" Megatron states as he enters the factory through the hole blown into it by the tank drones.

He finds the main control panel; and begins searching for schematics again; but this time pulls up newer model fighter jet drones. Immediately; he begins production of the new jet drones.

Meanwhile…

A young bot races down a long corridor towards a large entryway. Armed guards stop him at the entrance.

"Please; it's urgent! I have to speak to the High Council!" the bot states; and the armed guards allow him to enter.

As soon as the doors open enough for him to enter; he races in and sees the two remaining council members seated in floating chairs.

"Yes; what is it we can do for you?" one of them states; a lion's head upon his shoulder. "I come with urgent news! It appears that a bot has taken control of two factories and has begun making war machines! He's declaring war on Cybertron itself!" the young bot states.

"Most likely some Predacon thug; trying to get attention. I'm sure it's nothing the militia can't handle." the other bot states. They begin to float away and into the darkness.

"He says his name is Megatron; the one who stole the Golden Disk!" the young bot adds; stopping the two council members dead in their tracks.

The two members turn to each other. "It can't be…" one states. "It just might be. That would confirm what Reflex was telling us earlier." the other states.

"If what you say is true; then we might have a grave situation on our hands." one of the council members says to the young bot; "It would appear that we'll have to handle this situation…personally!"

Back at the factory…

"Die! Damn you all; DIE!" Megatron screams as he commands his newly created drones to attack a small group of Maximals who have started to attack him.

Jet drones swoop down from the sky in formation as they open fire upon the Maximals; killing up a good number of them with each pass. The tank drones blow up their hiding spots and tear them apart as they try to flee with their saw blades mounted in their arms.

More and more Maximals fall as more and more drones are created and join the battle. "You can not stand against the fury of Megatron!" Megatron screams as the drones tear apart the neighborhood; collapsing buildings and killing numerous innocent civilians and bystanders.

Far away; Reflex stands and records the carnage as explosions go off in every direction. "This is Reflex; reporting live from an old inner city factory; where the villain known as Megatron has taken his stronghold and is obliterating anyone who dares to get even remotely close! The death toll is staggering; I can't even begin to imagine how many have been killed; let alone the cost to repair the damage that has been done to nearly every building in the area!" she reports.

Suddenly a jet drone swoops down over her and fires; narrowly missing her. "Apparently I'm still not far enough away!" she shouts as she cuts the feed and runs for cover.

Back at the factory, Megatron continues his onslaught; destroying everything and everyone who crosses his path.

Suddenly; two large jets zoom in and open fire on Megatron; blowing up the ground around him and causing him to lose control of the drones for a moment.

The jets use the opportunity to land and waves of bots file out of the ships; armed for mainframe combat! Out of the cockpits on each jet; one bot hops out.

"Megatron; how dare you return here?" One of them asks him. "I have no time for small talk! I am your master; and you will die for me!" Megatron screams at them.

"That's where you're wrong Megatron…" one of them states; grabbing a huge cannon from his back and aiming it directly at Megatron.

"That's right…today; you die at the hands of LioConvoy and Big Convoy!" Lio Convoy states; standing next to Big Convoy as he aims his huge cannon at Megatron. Rows of soldiers line up behind them; all armed and aimed at Megatron.

"Ha! We shall see just who dies!" Megatron screams; as waves of jet drones rise up behind him; rising up in a tier effect as they all aim their weapons at the Convoys.

"For Cybertron!" Big Convoy screams as he points forward; and the Maximals charge towards Megatron and his army of drones.

**Author's Notes:**

Megatron has an army of drones; and is facing off against the two remaining Convoys! Who will win?

And Cryotek is helping Megatron create a virus that will wipe out all life on Cybertron!

Plus Nemesis; Waspinator and Dinobus Prime are en route to one of the Predacon outposts. Are they aware of the events on Cybertron? What will happen to them?

Keep watching!


	25. Episode 77: Other Ventures, Pt 2

**'Myth Wars': Episode 77: "Other Ventures: Part 2: A World Without…":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

"You insolent worms! You dare stand against the might and fury of Megatron? Against me?!" Megatron screams as Big Convoy and LioConvoy's troops rush towards him.

"I'd advise you to clamp it! Allow me…" Big Convoy shouts as he aims his huge double-barreled cannon at Megatron and fires.

Megatron summons one of his drones and causes it to jump in front of the blasts just in the nick of time. "It's going to take more than that to defeat me!!" He yells as the legions of drones open fire on the Maximals.

The Maximals quickly duck for cover as the ground literally explodes in waves of seemingly endless laser fire.

"Lio! Take your troops and flank the right side; try to get behind him!" Big Convoy shouts as he stands behind a wall. "Good idea!" Lio nods as he waves his hands and signals his troops to move out.

Jet drones swoop in and transform; opening fire upon Lio's troops as they race across the open battlefield. They return fire; taking out several drones.

Just then, a shot from one of the drones smashes through the hips of one of Lio's troops; knocking him to the ground. Another bot notices and stops to help his comrade; firing and destroying the drone who shot the downed bot.

"Are you alright?" He asks the downed bot. "I'll be alright; just go on without me!" The other bot shouts; pushing him off. "No; look at you. You're in bad shape! Put your arm around my shoulder." The bot states; extending his hand out to his injured comrade. "I said go on! I'll only slow you down!" He protests; pushing away his hand.

Just then the standing bot senses something behind him and turns to see a giant silhouette towering over him.

"And they wonder why I hate Maximals…" the towering bot states. "Cryotek? What's going on…?" The bot asks.

"It's called treason!" Cryotek states as he whips out a sword and slams it into the bot; slicing him in half.

"Noooo!!!" The injured bot screams; aiming his gun at Cryotek. He fires and blasts a chunk out of Cryotek's shoulder. He howls in pain as he stumbles a little, dropping his sword.

Cryotek regains his composure just as another shot swooshes past his head. Cryotek grabs his sword and gets ready to attack when he sees a tank drone rumble up and grab the downed bot. The tank drone tears him apart as he screams in pain.

"Wow…I always thought I was merciless…" Cryotek states as he watches the tank drone rip the bot apart. Out of nowhere several blasts shred the ground around Cryotek; causing him to look up and see several jet drones zooming in at him.

Cryotek transforms and takes into the air; zooming as fast as he can through the streets of the city. He cruises within inches of buildings; out-maneuvering the drones; causing them to slam into the building as they try to match his moves.

"MEGATRON!!" Cryotek screams into his intercom. Megatron; with his optics glowing with a brilliant white light; hears Cryotek. "What is it?" Megatron cackles evilly; so engaged in controlling the drones that his voice seems distant and unemotional. "Call your damn drones off of me!!" Cryotek screams. "My apologies…" Megatron states as he waves his hand.

The jet drones in pursuit of Cryotek cease fire and zoom off in the other direction a few moments later; and Cryotek zooms back towards Megatron's location.

Meanwhile, LioConvoy and his troops have moved into position not too far behind Megaton.

"Huh, he's even more insane than when he left." LioConvoy mumbles as he sees the maniac Megatron point and command his drones to attack different bots around the city.

"What's your command, sir?" One of his troops asks him. "Let's end this now!" LioConvoy shouts; signaling his troops to move in slowly towards Megatron.

At the same time; Big Convoy's troops advance towards Megatron from the front; half of them laying down a spread fire as the other half rushes in and takes cover behind closer building to Megatron.

Megatron laughs as his tank drones form lines in front of him; blasting at the buildings; trying to draw out Big Convoy's troops.

LioConvoy's troops sneak up behind Megatron; and stand less than a few meters behind him. "Perfect…" LioConvoy begins quietly as he aims his shoulder rockets at Megatron.

Just then; a bot flies down and lands next to Megatron; causing LioConvoy to pause and Megatron to turn to face him.

"Cryotek?" LioConvoy asks in shock to himself. "What is it?" Megatron asks Cryotek as his optics continue to shine brightly.

"Two things. One, I've hacked into the central communications of Cybertron; and gained access to all the major production plants on Cybertron. I've instructed them to make the jet drones and tank drones; plus I found another assault drone type; one equipped for speed. This one is a motorcycle; and I've begun production on those as well." Cryotek states.

"Perfect…" Megatron smirks. "And two, the virus is ready. Should I deploy it?" Cryotek asks. "Yes; an excellent idea! Keep me posted." Megatron states. "But first, here…" Cryotek states; pressing a small injector into Megatron's arm and firing it. "What was that?" Megatron asks. "A counter-virus; so you will be immune to the effects of the virus." Cryotek states. Megatron grins with pleasure, "Good…"

Just then Cryotek notices something move out of his peripheral vision; and turns towards LioConvoy. "Strange…I thought I saw something…" Cryotek states in confusion; seeing nothing where LioConvoy was.

"Nevermind that. The virus is our key to victory! Go now!" Megatron commands. Cryotek nods, transforms and takes off.

"Quickly; you three go and intercept Cryotek! He's betrayed us; and you must stop him; no matter what!" LioConvoy commands; and three of his troops rush off.

"And now…for you, Megatron…" LioConvoy states as he sneaks closer and closer to Megatron.

Megatron laughs more and more insanely as more and more drones appear; coming in from every direction and continuing their assault on Big Convoy's troops.

Suddenly; Megatron feels an energon blade at his throat. "Call them off Megatron; now!!" LioConvoy shouts into his ear; pushing the blade into Megatron's neck.

Elsewhere…

Cryotek flies through the skies as he watches drones patrol the cities; taking out any bots that they come across and capturing their sparks in specially designed spark-capturing devices.

Just then a couple laser blasts zoom past him and one slams into his right wing; causing him to spiral into a trail of smoke and fire.

He smashes through a bridge as he spirals out of control; as parts of his body break off and snap. He slams into the ground a few seconds later; bouncing and skidding down one of the streets. He takes out several cycle drones as he speeds out of control; finally coming to a halt by slamming into the side of a building.

He lies unconscious as the three Maximals cruise down towards him. They transform and land near him.

"Is he awake?" One of them asks. "Hmm…not sure…" Another states; poking Cryotek with the end of his gun. "Appears not…" the other states.

"Good. Let's take him into custody then. I'm sure the Maximal Elders will want to have a few words with him." The first bot states. Two of the bots grab him and start to pick him up when a blast comes out of nowhere and blows the third bot into several pieces.

"What?" One of the Maximals shouts as they turn to see a small group of tank drones roll slowly towards them. Their cannons twirl as energy builds at the ends; and they fire several more blasts at the two remaining Maximals.

They quickly grab their guns and open fire on the drones. The drones continue to advance; totally oblivious to the damage they're taking from the Maximal's shots.

"Owwww…." Cryotek moans as he starts to wake up. "Huh?" One of the Maximals states as he turns to look at Cryotek. Just as he lets his guard down; a blast slams into him and blows his head apart and he falls dead to the ground.

"Nooooo!!!" The other bot screams as he sees his comrade go down. Just then he gets shot in the stomach; and collapses to the ground. The tank drones advance and come down upon the injured bot with their saws.

Cryotek watches silently for a few moments as the drones tear the Maximal apart. "I'd thank you; but you wouldn't understand." Cryotek states as he rushes away as fast as he can; limping the whole time.

Back with Megatron…

"I said call them off!!!" LioConvoy screams as he pushes the blade against Megatron's throat.

"Hehe…you don't have the nerve; Maximal scum!!" Megatron laughs. LioConvoy pulls the blade in tighter; cutting Megatron a little. "Don't tempt me!" LioConvoy retorts.

"Have you ever spoken to the Oracle of Cybertron?" Megatron asks LioConvoy. "Huh?" LioConvoy asks in confusion.

"You heard me; have you ever spoken to the Oracle of Cybertron?" Megatron restates. "No…why?" Lio states; the blade still pressed against Megatron's throat.

"You see; I have. It told me that I would not be successful with my mission here; to conquer Cybertron and take every life. It told me that it was impossible…" Megatron begins, "…But you know what?"

"What?" LioConvoy asks. "The Oracle's not always right!" Megatron states; as a single blast smashes into the side of LioConvoy.

LioConvoy drops the blade and falls; and Megatron quickly moves as Lio's troops open fire upon him. The drone that shot LioConvoy moves in and opens fire upon the rest of Lio's troops; along with several other drones.

"No one in this universe shall stop me! Not you; not Big Convoy; not even the Oracle itself!" Megatron screams as the drones continue to fire upon the troops; slowly taking them out one by one.

Megatron turns and re-concentrates his power upon Big Convoy's troops; who are heavily devastated and few in number now.

Lio grabs a blaster from a compartment on his body and aims it at Megatron. "No…I can't let you…" He states as he squeezes the trigger.

At that exact moment; as the trigger compresses; a tank drone slams its fist into LioConvoy; causing the trajectory of the blast to alter slightly. The laser blast travels through the air; and Megatron turns almost in slow motion to see the blast coming towards him. He watches as it comes straight towards him; and catches the brow of his right optic; ricocheting off and creating a scar on his brow.

Megatron stumbles a little but catches his bearings. He turns to face LioConvoy; who is still being beaten by the drone. Megatron waves his hand; and the drone stops and backs off.

"That was as close as you'll get to killing me LioConvoy…I shall wear this scar as reminder to others of your futile attempt…" Megatron grins; pointing the scar above his right optic.

"I don't care what you do to me; others will fight for my cause even if I die!" LioConvoy sneers at Megatron; showing no fear.

"Heh, famous last words!" Megatron laughs as he takes out a spark extractor and proceeds to rip out LioConvoy's spark.

And as LioConvoy goes limp and flops to the ground; Megatron laughs with insane glee as he throws his arms in the air in triumph.

Elsewhere; Big Convoy looks at a small screen on his arm; and watches as the blips of LioConvoy and his troops disappear one by one; until none are left. "Slag!! I'm on my own now!!" Big Convoy looks away in mourning…

But deep underground; Cryotek limps through his lab and walks into an adjacent room. "It's now or never!" He states as he presses a button.

High above his position; a building begins to creak and crack; slowly splitting in half. Bots who have managed to elude the drones so far watch as a giant metal tower rises up and up and up into the sky from the building.

Jet drones cruise past the giant tower as it rises to the highest levels of the atmosphere. Suddenly; the top splits open into 4 sections and forms a gigantic satellite dish.

Energy begins to build up in the center of the dish; and suddenly a brilliant blast of green energy explodes from the dish; slowly echoing across the atmosphere of Cybertron.

Bots all around Cybertron watch in horror as the green energy wave passes through the atmosphere. Inside a building Reflex broadcasts over an emergency override frequency.

"This is Reflex. Outside the building a massive green energy wave appears to be engulfing the planet. From our scans relayed in from orbiting Cybertronian satellites; the energy is actually a virus; one that appears to have the effect of vaporizing all electronic-emitting metal objects. In other words; any and all living Cybertronians will be vaporized! Quickly; if have not already done so; get to some form of safety. Where; I'm not sure exactly; but get out of any open area for sure where you will be exposed to the energy! This is not a drill! Cybertron is under attack! I hate to be unprofessional; but run for your lives!!" She broadcasts to giant monitors mounted on the sides of buildings in the major cities of Cybertron.

But for most bots; her warnings come too late. As the wave engulfs them; they simply vanish into thin air; leaving behind only their sparks; which lifeless drones come by and capture.

Back with Megatron…

"Alright! This is it bots! We have to stop Megatron now!" Big Convoy commands as his remaining troops rush head long towards Megatron; firing their weapons as fast as they can at him.

Megatron summons hoards of drones in front of him; using them as shields to take the brunt of the laser fire.

Just then, Big Convoy's sensors detect something. "Everybody! Take cover quickly!" He commands as he rushes into a nearby building and slams the doors shut behind him.

The rest of his troops turn to see the green wave of energy zoom in over the horizon and move in on them. Megatron laughs as he watches them run; but they are too late as the wave vaporizes them almost instantly.

Suddenly Megatron commands his drones to stop firing; and the surrounding area becomes deathly silent. Nothing makes a noise; except a couple of drones that collect the sparks of the vaporized Maximals and the empty wind blowing down the now deserted streets.

Big Convoy listens carefully; but hears nothing. He slides the doors of the building open slowly.

But as he looks out and sees no one around; a single laser blast broadsides him in the shoulder; causing him to fall.

"What have you done?" Big Convoy asks; as he looks up at Megatron; who now stands over him. "Simple. I'm fulfilling my destiny and proving the Oracle wrong. I've killed everyone!" Megatron coldly states as he positions his spark extractor over Big Convoy's chest.

"Figures…you always were a bot without honor…" Big Convoy sarcastically remarks. Megatron bashes Big Convoy across the head with his device. "Even in defeat you still choose to mock your master!!" Megatron growls.

"You know; I once knew a bot who had your stupid sense of honor…" Megatron begins, "…I killed him too."

Megatron presses the trigger and extracts Big Convoy's spark, and the leader falls dead to the ground.

"At last; it is done…" Megatron smiles a little; as he stares out at the charred city around him, "…And now; to prepare the planet for my reign…"

He extends his arm out and points across the land as rows of jet drones fly past him high above, "Go forth and rebuild the planet. We do want Cybertron to look it's best for my ascension to godhood; now don't we?" He begins to laugh a little, "…And if you find any survivors; kill them!"

Meanwhile; deep in space…

"What the heck is that?" Nemesis states; pointing out the windshield.

Waspinator snorts a little and wakes up. "Wha…?" He asks. "Get up and take a look at this." Nemesis states.

Waspinator walks up to the front of the ship and looks out. His jaw drops in shock as he sees the green energy wave consume the planet.

"Hmm…fascinating…" a voice states as the wave begins to dissipate and the atmosphere return to normal.

All of a sudden; Nemesis and Waspinator turn to see Dinobus Prime standing next to them. "You!!" Nemesis and Dinobus shout at the same time as they both draw their swords.

"Lizard-bot survive?" Waspinator shouts in shock as Nemesis and Dinobus lock swords and clash; fighting each other with expert swings and moves.

"Don't just…stand there…idiot…help me!!" Nemesis shouts to Waspinator as she struggles with Dinobus. Waspinator looks around and grabs his gun and aims it at Dinobus.

"Wazpinator can not get clean shot!" Waspinator states as he tries to aim at Dinobus; but they keep moving and Nemesis keeps getting in the way.

"I don't care! Just shoot!" Nemesis screams as she fights; but Dinobus charges his optics and fires a single blast at Waspinator; knocking him out cold.

"Ugh…figures!" She mutters as she reacts and counteracts Dinobus's strikes. "You are an excellent swordsman Nemesis…I'm surprised Megatron did not want you as one of his crew!" Dinobus states. "Megatron was always too busy with his own agenda to choose a competent crew. I'm surprised he chose an intelligent bot like you!" Nemesis states.

"Flattery will not make this any easier!" Dinobus growls. "That wasn't a compliment…" Nemesis retorts; kicking Dinobus in the chest across the room.

Dinobus quickly looks up to see Nemesis charging at him with her sword; but he quickly fires a shot out his optics and knocks her to the ground.

She gets knocked out; but comes too moments later. But when she wakes she finds Dinobus's hand clasped around her throat. "And now…I think it's time you start taking orders from me…" Dinobus states.

She makes a mumbling noise in response. "We are not going to the Predacon outpost…we are going directly to Cybertron!" Dinobus states.

"What? Are you insane?" Nemesis shouts. "Well; originally I was going to simply wait until you were out of the ship on the outpost and go to Cybertron myself; but this opportunity presented itself…" Dinobus explains.

"That's not what I meant; you stupid bird!" Nemesis states, "I meant why Cybertron? You're a Predacon!" "In case you had not noticed; I'm a Maximal now!" Dinobus replies.

"Huh; like those idiots'll take you in as one of their own!" Nemesis retorts. "Perhaps…" Dinobus begins, "…But I'm prepared to face that possibility now."

"You are insane." She replies. "Not at all; I'm just thinking like a true leader now…" Dinobus replies.

"Now; pilot this ship towards Cybertron!" Dinobus commands; lifting her up and setting her in front of the ship's controls.

"Fine; but it's your grave…" She comments as she disengages autopilot. Dinobus simply grunts in response.

Back on Cybertron…

"Megatron!!" Cryotek shouts into his intercom. "Yes?" Megatron responds; his optics no longer glowing as he walks down the empty and silent streets of Cybertron.

"Are you on your way back to the lab?" Cryotek asks. "I'm very nearly there. Why?" Megatron asks as he enters a building and walks to an elevator.

"I'm gravely injured…I don't think I'm going to make it!" Cryotek states.

"Oh?" Megatron states as he enters the elevator and proceeds to go down on it. "Yes, and there's something else too…" Cryotek states.

"What's that?" Megatron asks. "The long range sensors have picked up an incoming ship!" Cryotek states.

Megatron growls as he hears this. The elevator reaches the bottom and the doors open to a hallway. Megatron walks down it and opens a door; entering Cryotek's lab.

There he finds Cryotek nearly dead; holding himself up by one arm as he leaks fluid from multiple wounds all over his body.

"What happened to you?" Megatron asks; more interested than concerned. "I was followed by 3 Maximals. They shot me; and I was knocked out of the sky. I had quite a fall…" Cryotek states.

"And what of the Maximals?" Megatron asks. "They were killed by some of your drones." Cryotek replies. "Good. Then our only problem is that incoming ship you've detected." Megatron states.

"Yes. How should we handle it?" Cryotek asks; his voice cracking a little from the damage. "We'll have to act quickly. The Maximal Elders are still alive in the Citadel; and they will surely try to contact-"

"No!" Cryotek interrupts. "Hmm?" Megatron asks. "No, I've already taken care of the Maximal Elders. I was able to freely enter their chambers since I was on the head Maximal science team. They trusted me; and that was their downfall. I entered each of their chambers freely; and killed them before they could do anything." Cryotek explains.

"Well then…" Megatron states with some happiness, "…I suppose we just wait until the ship arrives. We'll give them a welcome they didn't expect!"

Meanwhile; on one of the Predacon outposts orbiting Cybertron…

"This is strange." One of the Tri-Predacus council members states as he sits in front of a monitor. "What?" Another one of the council members asks; walking up to him. "We've lost contact with Cybertron; and not just our operatives there; but with the Maximals too!" he states.

"Are you certain?" The other member asks. "Positive. We are no longer receiving information or instructions from the Maximals." he says. "Then is it safe to assume that they are no longer monitoring us either?" The other member asks. "I would assume so." he replies.

"Well; we must act. But not too hastily…" The standing member of the council states to the one seated in front of the monitor, "We must check into this; see why the communication flow has stopped; both with the Maximals and our operatives. But at the same time; this may be the perfect time to take control of Cybertron; while they are experiencing 'technical difficulties'."

"Agreed. Let us mobilize our forces then." The seated member states as he begins typing commands into the system.

Back on the Vok ship…

"We're approaching the planet. I'll need you to assist me with the controls." Nemesis states. "Can you not handle them by yourself?" Dinobus asks.

"No…I would have my idiot boy-toy help me; but you knocked him out." Nemesis sneers. "Alright. But I will only do it while standing. I do not trust you…" Dinobus states as he moves next to her; keeping one hand around her throat and leaving one hand free.

"Well; while it wasn't my first choice; I don't suppose you'll let my throat go." Nemesis states. "You always were very observant…" Dinobus states with a slight smile.

"Huh…" Nemesis grunts as she drags her fingers across the control screen, "I need you to watch our trajectory; we need to enter the atmosphere at the right angle so we don't burn up."

"Yes…" Dinobus states as he watches the screen she points at; all the while still holding her throat.

"You know; your hands are a little clammy; do you mind loosening your grip a little?" Nemesis asks. "Just shut up and pilot!" Dinobus grumbles; not letting go an inch.

As they enter the atmosphere; the ship begins to heat up. A smoke trail starts to follow the ship as it plunges further and further into the atmosphere.

As soon as the clear the upper atmosphere; the fire begins to subside and the planet's surface becomes visible.

But just a few seconds later; laser blasts begin to rock the ship. Dinobus gets tossed around; accidentally throwing Nemesis into the air and slamming her down as he falls. Holes get blasted into the ship as they go down; and Dinobus uses his optics to zoom in and see what appears to be thousands of drones firing upon him as they plunge down towards the ground.

The ship zooms closer and closer to the drones; and plows right into about thirty or so of them as it passes through the upper wave of jet drones. They explode upon impact; blowing open the front of the ship and forcing Dinobus and the unconscious Waspinator and Nemesis against the back of the ship; pinned by the G-forces and the incoming wind.

Suddenly and violently; the ship slams into the surface; plowing a trail through buildings as they slam through them with tremendous force. Debris slams into Dinobus as he tries to shield himself with his arms as the ship very slowly begins to lose momentum.

Finally they slam into the ground and carve a deep groove into it as they gradually slow to a stop.

A few minutes pass before Dinobus regains consciousness; after being knocked out from the final impact. He quickly runs to the front of the ship and runs out.

"By the pit…" he states he looks around at the empty and silent Cybertron. He hears the faint rumble of engines in the distance and rushes off.

Meanwhile…

"The ship has landed Megatron!" Cryotek states; now seated in front of a computer. He holds his chest; still very much in pain.

"Good. Are the drones there yet?" Megatron asks. "Very nearly. There should be there any second now." Cryotek states.

"Perfect. We must reach them before any one who might have survived has the chance to escape." Megatron explains.

"Yes. But we need to prevent this from happening again." Cryotek states. "How so?" Megatron inquires. "More ships may come. I suggest a planetary defense system be deployed." Cryotek suggests.

"Hmm…an intriguing idea…" Megatron begins, "…after all; I do have the drones to spare…but I would not be able to monitor everything that goes on in space and still control all the drones on Cybertron at the same time."

"What are you thinking?" Cryotek asks. "I would need a general…" Megatron states.

"Aarrgghhh!!!!!" Cryotek screams as he collapses to the ground in pain. "What now?" Megatron asks; annoyed. "I'm dying…I can't hide the pain any longer…" he stammers out.

"Hmm…" Megatron thinks, "Are you ready to trade bodies then?" "Huh? You…still want to…do that?" Cryotek asks, in unbearable pain. "I want a pure mechanical body; and you have one…" Megatron grins as he picks up Cryotek and takes him to the regeneration chamber.

"Are you…serious?" Cryotek asks. "Yes. If you recall back to when I was in control of the drones; I was not only commanding them. They were simple to control; just basically set them on 'seek and destroy'; if you will. No; I was also connecting to the vast network on Cybertron. I reconfigured your restoration chamber to act as a spark-transfer machine." Megatron explains.

"That's why…I couldn't…regenerate…my body…" Cryotek states. "Exactly." Megatron states as he straps Cryotek down.

"And now; to purge myself of this inorganic body; so I can take all the sparks and combine them with myself!!" Megatron shouts. "You…you're insane!" Cryotek stutters out as he lies in the chair; unable to move due to his weak condition. "Not at all; I'm merely fulfilling my destiny…" Megatron states as he straps himself down and presses a button.

All of a sudden; energy ripples through the machine; and echoes across both of them. They both scream in pain as their bodies begin to alter and change.

Suddenly; the machine begins to overheat. "Unable to complete mechanical transfer to subject A; subject B's mechanical structure is too far compromised. Biological transfer to subject B complete. Sequence will terminate in 2 nanoclicks." The machines states.

"Noooo!!" Megatron screams as the machine explodes; sending them flying in opposite directions across the lab.

Megatron lies stunned for a moment; but rises and looks down at his body. "No…no…it can't be…NOOOOOO!!!!!" He screams as he sees his body only partially mechanized.

Cryotek lies unconscious; on the other side of the room. Megatron looks over at him; and sees him now in his TM2 dragon body; but blue in color. "Well; I suppose this will do for now…I'll have to find another way to rid myself of my organic body…" Megatron states.

"But at the moment; I have more important matters to attend to. I need to get to a place where I can control all of the aspects of Cybertron easily…without interruption…" he states; rubbing his chin.

"Ah yes…the Maximal Elder Citadel! That'll be the perfect place!" Megatron laughs as he starts to walk off.

"Oh, I know you can't hear me Cryotek; but as thanks for your help; I shall leave you here and not take your spark. Maybe you'll survive; maybe you won't. That is not my concern. Until we meet again!" Megatron states as he leaves the room.

Back on the shuttle…

"Hmm…" Dinobus states as he watches the shuttle from afar, "I'm surprised neither of them have regained consciousness yet. And what's more surprising…" he begins as he looks at the drones in front of the ship, "…is that these bots just stopped suddenly. It's like they're not even alive…"

He watches for a few moments when he hears a noise behind him. He quickly grabs his swords and moves cautiously towards where he heard the sound.

He enters a building; and walks down a long hall when he sees something reflect light in his direction.

"Please don't kill me!!!" someone cries out; and Dinobus walks towards the reflected light, which was being reflected off of the bot's body and sees a bot cowering in the corner of the end of hall.

"I'm not going to hurt you…" Dinobus states, "Who are you? What happened here?"

"My name is Reflex…who are you?" she asks, still cowering. "My name is Dinobo…Dinobus Prime." he replies; correcting himself.

"Dinobus…Prime?" She asks in question. "Yes; I'm a Maximal, just like you." He states calmly.

She moves a little towards him; still sacred. "How did you know…I was a M-Maximal?" she asks with a little less fear.

"You may remember me as a Predacon criminal named Dinobot…" he reluctantly states. "You? But you were on the Darksyde! How'd you get here?" She asks.

"I have no time to explain. All you need to know is that I've changed; and I'm a Maximal now. I was reformatted and given a Matrix annex; and now I am a Prime." he tells her. "Normally I might not believe you; but stranger stuff has happened lately…and right now; there seems to be no one else alive on Cybertron."

"What?!?" Dinobus shouts. "Yes; a green energy wave engulfed Cybertron. It killed everyone." she explains. "I saw it from space; as I was arriving…" Dinobus states. "…A world without life is not a world at all."

"Wow, so poetic…" Reflex states. Dinobus merely grumbles a little. "So, is your ship operative?" Reflex asks. "I'm afraid not…it was heavily damaged as it crashed. We were attacked by what appeared to be legions of transformers; but none liked I've ever seen before." Dinobus states; a little confused.

"They are drones; created by Megatron." Reflex states. "MEGATRON!! He's here?!?!" Dinobus screams.

"Yes; he's here. He's taken control of Cybertron. You have to stop him!" Reflex states. "And what of you?" he asks her. "I'm going to see if I can somehow find anyone alive; or at least leave some kind of beacon for others; so they know what has happened." she tells him.

"Alright. I wish you luck." Dinobus states. "Same to you. It's very evident that you've changed…" Reflex states.

"Hmm…" Dinobus grumbles as he walks off back down the hall, "Farewell." "Goodbye…" Reflex trails off; watching him leave.

Dinobus exits the building and sees the drones active again; now carrying off the unconscious bodies of Nemesis and Waspinator. "Hmm…I'm guessing Megatron is in control of the drones…I wonder what he wants with those two…" Dinobus states; carefully staying out of sight.

"Whatever the reason; I must stop Megatron…if I can find him…" Dinobus grumbles, a little annoyed at the prospect. He silently rushes off.

Elsewhere; not too far away…

"Perfect…it worked perfectly…" Megatron chuckles evilly as he floats around inside the former Maximal Elder Citadel; hanging down from the ceiling from a jumble of long cables that extend high into the ceiling; so high the end can't be seen. He waves his arms about; one of his hands in the shape of a claw; and the other in the shape of a 3-fingered mechanical hand.

"Hmm…" he mutters as he looks at a floating screen in front of him; his reflection showing his mechanical helmet with his grill face-guard and long sloping topside; connected to the wires from the ceiling, "…It would appear that both Nemesis and Waspinator have survived. In a few moments; they will be here and I shall have a little conversation with them."

"Excuse me sir…" a small diagnostic drone floats up next to him and holds a small panel, "…the planet appears to be void of life. No free-functioning robot appears to be on the surface." The drone states.

"Good…" Megatron begins; then looks back at the drone; his deep red optics staring coldly at the drone, "…wait; on the surface?"

"Yes; there are still the Predacon outposts orbiting Cybertron that contain-" the drone begins when it is cut off. "Blast! I neglected to remember the outposts…" Megatron begins; turning to look at one of the floating screens.

Just then the doors of the Citadel open; and a couple of tank drones appear; holding Nemesis and Waspinator; who are now awake and struggling.

"Bring them forward…" Megatron commands unemotionally as he summons the bridge to him from the door; piece by piece.

The drones roll across and make their way to him. "Megatron…is that you?" Nemesis asks, a little stunned as she struggles with the drones holding her.

"But of course…" Megatron smirks, "I'm surprised you made it here from Earth. Fortunately for you; you came after I deployed my virus; and my virus did not effect you…"

"What do you mean?" Nemesis states. "I made a virus that wiped out all life on Cybertron." Megatron states. "Even you are not capable of something like that!" Nemesis retorts.

"Do not question me insolent one!!" Megatron growls, "It was Cryotek; yes; but he's not here now. I can take credit for his achievements; after all; he will become part of me when the time comes."

"What are you talking about?" Nemesis asks; still a little puzzled. "I have no time to explain. Right now; I have an important mission for you…" Megatron smirks.

"And what about Wazpinator?" Waspinator speaks up. "Well…considering you've been loyal to me in the past; to a point; and that I did implant the Thrust personality program into you…I shall spare you." Megatron states.

"But Wazpinator want important mission!" Waspinator complains. Megatron growls as he stares down at Waspinator.

"Don't tick him off; you numbskull!" Nemesis states, "I don't want to lose you to Thrust again!" "Oh…?" Megatron queries.

"Well…um…" Nemesis begins with a little shyness. "She's my birdie-bot! I love her!" Waspinator interrupts; causing Nemesis to sigh in embarrassment.

"Well; this is an interesting development…" Megatron states, "…too bad it wasn't meant to last!" "Kiss my skidplate, you piece of stinkin' slag!!" Nemesis snaps.

"Now, now…" Megatron begins as he gestures a couple of diagnostic drones over; which are carrying an empty shell.

"What's that?" Nemesis asks, looking at the shell, with its long slender form, large shoulder pads, twin shoulder mounted cannons and jet thrusters. "That…" Megatron begins, "…is you."

"What?" Nemesis shouts. "Playtime's over!" Megatron growls as he calls forth two spark extractors; located on the ends of long snake-like tubes.

"Whatever happens Waspinator, I just want you to know one thing…" Nemesis states as the spark extractors move in front of them, "…I love you; and I will meet you again, one day…"

"Wazpinator love you too…" Waspinator states with a smile.

"Ugh!! Such biological mush!!" Megatron screams in frustration; pressing a button. Waspinator screams in pain as his body makes noise; like his circuitry being rewritten.

"My name is Thrust…" Waspinator begins with a changed and deeper voice, "…and I shall obey you and your every command, lord Megatron."

"Perfect…" Megatron laughs as he extracts Waspinator's spark; and his spark-extracting tube zips back into the ground.

"Noooo!!!" Nemesis screams as she reaches out in vain towards Waspinator. Just then; the extractor rips out her spark and transfers it over into the empty shell being held by the drones. Her old body falls limp.

"Dispose of the old body…" Megatron commands as he activates the new shell for Nemesis.

"My name is Satellica; and I shall obey very command without question; lord Megatron!!" Satellica states; floating now under her own power.

"Good; now listen to me. Take your drones; and go into space. Destroy all the Predacon outposts and any incoming ships!!" Megatron commands; pointing towards the exit.

"Satellica…Blast off!!!" She screams as she transforms into vehicle mode; as a satellite with arms that extend out of the sides of the front of the craft.

Megatron watches as she zooms off and out the building. He turns to one of his monitors and watches her and her drones blast off into space. "And now…to pay my old comrades a visit…" Megatron laughs insanely.

**Author's Notes:**

Megatron has changed Waspinator back into Thrust; and now Nemesis is Satellica; one of the drones who will become Cybertron's defense system satellites in space! What will happen to the Predacons on the outposts?

And what are they planning?

And what of Dinobus and Reflex? What will they do?

And what of Optimus and his crew; still caught in transwarp space?

Find out the answers to those and many more questions in the final chapter of Myth Wars!!!!


	26. Episode 78: Other Ventures, Pt 3

**'Myth Wars': Episode 78: "Other Ventures: Part 3: Destiny":**

(Author's Notes on Bottom)

In the orbital space above Cybertron; legions of satellite drones led by the newly created general Satellica advance in formation upon the numerous Predacon space outposts orbiting Cybertron.

"Satellica to Lord Megatron!" Satellica radios back. "Megatron here; report!" Megatron states from deep inside the Citadel on Cybertron.

"My drones are nearing the outposts. We should be there in less than a cycle." Satellica reports. "Good. Let me know when you reach the Tri-Predacus Council chamber…I have a very special message for them…" Megatron grins slyly. "Understood, my lord." Satellica replies and continues towards one of the outposts.

Her drones begin to separate into groups and spread out; each group heading towards a specific outpost.

Elsewhere…

"General! Take a look at this!" a Predacon shouts to a nearby bot. "What is it now? We've got to finish up these preparations if we are to stop Megatron!" The general states.

"I know sir; but I think you should see this…" The Predacon tells him as he points to a screen. The other two generals of the Tri-Predacus Council walk over and look at the screen; and see hundreds of satellite drones moving closer and closer to them. The Predacon turns to the generals with fear in his optics, "…it looks like Megatron's already made his move!"

"It would seem that we have once again underestimated Megatron's creativeness…" one of the generals states. "We have no more time to prepare for an offensive strike; we must now go on the defensive!" Another general states.

"Quickly, alert the other outposts if they have not already noticed." The third general tells the Predacon seated at the navigation station. He nods and proceeds to send out an emergency broadcast to the other outposts.

At that moment; on another outpost…

"We're getting an incoming transmission!" One of the Predacons shouts. "Don't tell me; we're under attack…" Another Predacon shouts from not far away. "Yes, but how did you know?" The Predacon asks as he turns around. "Because they're already here!" the other Predacon states; as he tries to hold the door shut as drones try to force their way in.

On the other side of the door the drones' blast away at the door with their shoulder mounted cannons. The door doesn't budge, and they stop blasting as they change their fingers into saw blades and begin slicing through the door slowly.

"They'll break through any second! We have to get out of here!" One of the Predacons shouts. "And just where are we going to go? They've probably infested the entire outpost by now! I say we make a stand against them!" The Predacon holding the door states as the drones' saw blades begin to poke through the door.

The Predacon backs away from the door suddenly; and the door breaks apart as the drones burst through. "Open fire!!" The Predacon shouts as they shoot the drones with everything they've got. The drones fall one by one; but more come and soon there are too many and the two Predacons are overwhelmed.

Back on the Tri-Predacus Council's outpost…

"We...we're being obliterated!!!" One of the generals states, now assuming the navigation position. "Impossible!" Another mutters in shock. "It's true…there are so many drones; we can't destroy enough of them to gain a tactical advantage!" He replies.

The third general looks at the monitors on the room; watching as the drones fly through the ship; all in robot mode; blasting down doors and walls and capturing the sparks of every single Predacon they find, leaving behind only empty shells. "Is this how it ends…?" He asks himself quietly.

Not far away…

"Satellica to Lord Megatron!" Satellica states as she walks down one of the hallways; surrounded by numerous drones. "Megatron here…are you there?" Megatron asks.

"Yes…I am here…" Satellica nods with an insane grin as she looks at the entrance to the Tri-Predacus Council chambers. "Perfect…are they all inside?" Megatron asks. "I'm scanning four Predacons inside…three match that of the Tri-Predacus Council members; and the other is just a subordinate." Satellica replies.

"Then now is the time…to thank them for all those stellar-cycles of political repression and skidplate-kissing on their part…" Megatron grins as he summons his monitors and creates a giant picture on the combined screens.

Back on the station…

"Greetings former comrades…" Megatron states as his face flashes upon a screen inside the Council chambers. "Megatron?" One of the members shouts in shock.

"You may be wondering how I was able to open up this channel," Megatron begins, "You see, once one has the entire planet under their control; one has access to the entire planet's systems. Therefore, this was simply a menial task."

"How did you get back to Cybertron! I thought we'd seen the last of your wretched hide!" One of the generals growls. "That's really no concern of yours!" Megatron scowls.

"Now, I wanted you to know this before my drones destroy you all," Megatron smirks a little, "A long since forgotten leader of the Autobots once said, 'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings'…well; no longer. The Oracle said I couldn't do it; that I couldn't kill everyone; but the Oracle is not always right! I'm proving the Oracle wrong as we speak!! It is my destiny to conquer and rule all; but not as my namesake had. He did not realize that a conquered people would not _freely_ join you; instead they must make that decision on their own. I have come to realize this over time; and to put it simply; I don't have the time for that. Instead, I find it much easier to simply assimilate them all. Imagine it, no more individual minds. No more fighting, no more injustice, no more wars; only one single entity to rule them all…Me!!"

"Our scans indicate that there are only 3 units active on the surface. It would appear that you haven't fully won yet Megatron!" One of the generals retorts. Megatron looks at them with suspicion and then regains his composure. "A slight delay, no more I assure you. The 2 remaining infestations will be eradicated shortly." Megatron replies.

"We are not stupid Megatron; we know when we are beaten." One of the generals states. "Oh really?" Megatron questions with suspicions. "Yes. Your drones have almost broken through our doors; and you've nearly killed everyone on Cybertron. The other outposts have been decimated; and we are the last survivors of the remaining outposts that haven't been destroyed by your drones." The general states.

"Don't tell me your going to plead for your miserable lives?" Megatron laughs. "No. Quite the opposite. You may have won the war; but we are going to win this battle," One of the generals states as he presses a button, "Begin outpost self-destruct sequence!!"

"Arrrghhh!! Fine then; destroy yourselves for all I care! You always were too afraid to face the Maximals; and now you're too afraid to face me!" Megatron screams as he cuts the transmission.

"Well; there's some bad news…" Satellica states; overhearing Megatron's chat with the Council members. "Satellica to all drones in quadrants 1, 2 and 3: Retreat to orbital space, now!!" Satellica shouts. "Satellica…Blast off!!" She screams, transforming into a satellite and racing down the hallways towards the port on the outpost. "However; drones on this outpost will continue the attack! Lord Megatron commands that the Tri-Predacus Council be destroyed!" Satellica states.

As Satellica leaves the outpost; the drones on the station finally manage to blast through the doors and enter the chambers. The generals sit solemnly and quietly as the drones advance towards them. "This is how it ends…" One of the generals states as the drones fly towards him and the other three Predacons.

Suddenly; the outpost explodes in a brilliant blast of light; sending debris out in all directions as a wave of energy ripples out and slowly dissolves.

"Satellica to Lord Megatron; all of the outposts have been destroyed. Although some of the Predacons were killed; we did manage to capture 1,479 sparks. I'll have them brought to you immediately." Satellica tells him. "Good. Be on the lookout for any incoming ships. If you spot any; shoot them out of the sky!" Megatron commands. "Understood, my lord. Satellica out!" Satellica replies, now in orbit with her drones around Cybertron.

Back in the Council Citadel…

"How can this be?! You said the surface was void of life!!" Megatron screams as he smashes his diagnostic drone into one of the floating screens. The drone shakes a little; but flies back up to Megatron. "Apparently, my calculations were incorrect. There were millions of inhabitants on Cybertron; it is theoretically possible that some of them managed to elude your Vehicons." The drone tells him.

"That…is not possible. I am technologically pure; and I am their single guiding intelligence. No one should be able to elude me!" Megatron yells. "Technically, you are still over 70 organic, and-" The drone begins when a fireball engulfs it; causing it to shut up.

"You are supposed to be working on way to fix that!!" Megatron screams in anger. "Yes, milord. I will begin work operations again right away." The drone nods a little and flies off.

"Hmm…" Megatron growls lowly to himself as he turns to one of his monitors, "…I wonder who these bots are that are still alive…"

Elsewhere…

"I only hope Dinobus can stop Megatron…" Reflex mutters to herself quietly as she taps into one of the info-core stations located all around Cybertron. "I may not be able to stop Megatron or his drones, but there must be something I can do. I know Megatron would instantly notice a warning beacon, but maybe I can restore some info to the systems. If anyone else happens to find this; maybe they can make use of it."

Not too far away…

"Blast it all! There's no end to these metal hunks of slag!!" Dinobus Prime growls as he shoots down three attacking jet drones, "I need to find Megatron, and soon. I'm the only one who can stop him now!"

Suddenly Dinobus looks up and sees a small floating device. Dinobus looks at it for a few moments; and then realizes that it's a camera. He blasts it with his optic lasers and the camera shatters into millions of fragments.

Back in Megatron's Citadel…

"No…I don't believe it…" Megatron states as he watches the tape over and over again of Dinobus Prime looking up at the camera and destroying it, "…He must've been on the ship that Waspinator and Nemesis were on…but how did he escape my Vehicons?"

"You were offline for a period of time during the failed body transfer with Cryotek. He would've had plenty of time to escape." the diagnostic drone states as it flies in front of Megatron. Megatron growls a little; and turns to a small control panel. "No matter. The point remains that he is here now, and I believe I have the perfect way to say hello to my old comrade in arms." Megatron smiles as he presses a button.

Suddenly the ground begins to shake under Dinobus and he grabs the side of a nearby building for stability. "What in the inferno is going on?" Dinobus shouts as he looks around for anything that could be causing the tremors.

Just then, he sees something start to rise out of the ground about 30 meters ahead of him. "Megatron's in the Citadel; I should've known!" Dinobus growls as he continues to watch something rise out of the Citadel complex.

Dinobus stares up in awe as the object rises up and up; and turns to look directly at him. "Megatron…is that you?" Dinobus asks rhetorically as he stares up at the giant floating head of Megatron.

"Greetings Dinobot!" Megatron's voice booms out from the ship. "Megatron! What have you done?" Dinobus shouts to the ship. "Isn't it obvious? I've taken the sparks of every living being on Cybertron! I've begun the first step to fulfilling my destiny!!" Megatron booms.

"I was right! Your ambitions have made you insane! You've killed both Maximal and Predacon; and for what? So you can be alone and unchallenged!" Dinobus retorts.

"Ha! You never understood true power, old comrade. You were always blinded by your pathetic sense of honor. I have honor; but not your sense of honor. While yours makes you weak and powerless; like a Maximal; mine commends a fair battle, and understands that every good deed deserves another. Hence…" Megatron states as the ship transforms into a battleship, "…I'm saying, 'Thank you' for all the times you've cost me victories!! Goodbye Dinobot; for the last time!!"

The ship opens fire upon Dinobus as he dives out of the path of fire. Dinobus quickly rises to his feet and begins running down one of the streets of the city as the battleship flies behind him. The ship blows up any building in its path; causing Dinobus to keep changing paths to avoid debris and collapsing buildings.

Suddenly, Dinobus turns down one street and sees several cycle drones race towards him. He growls in frustration as he uses his optic blasters to cut through an overhead bridge; sending it crashing down upon the oncoming Vehicons.

He turns to face the battleship; trying to fire upon it with his optics; but realizes he's out of range. The ship charges up and fires a single shot at Dinobus. Dinobus runs as fast as he can but the blast hits just a few feet behind him; sending him airborne.

He transforms as he flies through the air and manages to regain his balance. Jet drones swoop in from around the corner of one of the buildings and fire upon him. "Dinobus Prime…Maximize!!" He screams as he transforms and deflects their blasts with his swords. He charges towards them; slicing them apart as he flies past each one of the drones.

Suddenly blasts fly past him and he looks down to see tank drones firing up at him. "Slag! I need to get inside that ship and stop Megatron now!!" Dinobus shouts as he flies higher and out of range of the tank drones.

The battleship slowly turns to face Dinobus. It transforms back into the head of Megatron and looks directly at Dinobus. "Why do you fight on Dinobot? Haven't you realized that I always win in the end?" Megatron asks.

"I've stopped your plans more than once Megatron; and I shall do so again!" Dinobus states as he flies as fast as he can towards the ship.

Suddenly Dinobus sees the shield's flash on; and he stops in mid-flight only a few feet from the shields. "Clever…" Dinobus laughs a little, "…But its going to take more than that to stop me!"

He fires his optics at the shields but to little avail. Just then he senses something behind him and turns to see several jet drones in vehicle mode flying up behind him.

Reacting quickly, Dinobus grabs one of them and slams it into the ship's shields; having a noticeable effect. The others start firing upon him; and he grabs another one of the drones by the cockpit. He swings it as hard as he can and chucks into some of the others; destroying them. He grabs the remaining two drones and slams them into the shields of the ship; shattering the shields completely.

"Arrrgghhh!! Noo!!" Megatron screams as the shields shatter; and Dinobus lands on Megatron's brow ridge. He grabs both of his swords and cuts an opening through the thick hull.

He grabs the hull piece and uses it as a shield as several more jet drones appear and open fire upon him. He manages to use his optic blasters to destroy them one by one, and tosses the hull piece down. It slides off the hull of the ship and falls through the sky to the ground far below.

Inside the ship, Dinobus rushes as fast as he can down the catwalks that fill the interior. Dinobus hears the sound of engines drawing in closer to him and soon sees several headlights in front of him, followed by a barrage of laser fire. He seeks cover behind a wall as the drones continue to fire at the empty space where he was. Patiently waiting; he stands behind the wall as the engines' sounds grow closer and closer.

Suddenly; he jumps out and grasps one of the tank drone's turrets and rips it off. The other drones fire upon the injured drone upon which Dinobus is standing; blowing it up just as Dinobus leaps off and onto another drone. He smashes the head on the drone he's standing on with the tank turret; causing it to malfunction and start shooting without aiming. He flies into the air as the drones obliterate each other; and continues on.

He uses the turret to bash down a door; and he enters a large, open room. Inside, Dinobus sees a stream of code rising from the bottom of the ship to the top. Out of the stream, a form begins to take shape; forming the head of Megatron.

"So, you are here…" Dinobus states as he looks at the form of Megatron's head, "…Look at you; you've become nothing more than a floating stream of particles. This is your master plan Megatron?" "No; you misunderstand me Dinobot," Megatron states, "Although this ship will become my body; I am not one with this ship yet. I'm still waiting for Optimus and the other Maximals to arrive; so I can give them a warm welcome!" Megatron laughs cruelly.

"Optimus…Rattrap…" Dinobus states somberly to himself. "Yes; they will all be killed, just as you shall be!" Megatron laughs.

"My drones are coming; it's only a matter of time before they reach you," Megatron begins, "Any last words?"

"There was a time I wouldn't have cared what happened to Cybertron. A time when I idolized you; a time when I was a mere criminal. Times have changed… And all my life I had searched for a worthy cause to fight for; to die for. First it was for those who could not defend themselves, then for time itself. And now, it's for all those things and more. This time, it's for all of Cybertron and all those innocent Cybertronians you merciless killed. If I must die to stop you once and for all Megatron; then so be it!!!"

In one heroic leap; Dinobus draws his swords and plunges blade-first into the data stream form of Megatron. Waves of electricity rip through the stream as Dinobus's body begins to fry. "…The rest…is silence!!!" Dinobus screams as he shoots his optic blaster one final time.

The blast is scattered by the data stream and floods the room with a bright white light. Drones appear at the entrance to the room but are vaporized by the light. Light blasts through walls and sections of the ship as Megatron screams in pain.

Outside; cracks appear as streams of light burst out of the ship and jut out in every direction. The anti-gravity units under the ship explode and the massive head of Megatron begins to explode as it plunges slowly down. It crashes into the center of the Citadel; plowing through layers of catwalks as it forces it's way down and down; coming to a halt far below the surface.

Deep inside the Citadel…

"NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Megatron screams as he hurls one of the floating screens against the wall. As it explodes; Megatron begins to lose control as the connections to his control harness begin to detach.

"Nooo!! NOOO!!!" He screams as he transforms into dragon mode and lands on the ground below with a solid thud.

"It would appear that Dinobus put up a brave last stand, milord." The diagnostic drone states as it flies in front of Megatron. Megatron roars as loud as he can and violently grabs the drone with his tail claw.

"IF YOU EVER…SPEAK THAT NAME IN MY PRESENCE AGAIN…I WILL RIP YOU APART PIECE BY SLAGGING PIECE!!!!" Megatron screams as he hyperventilates.

"Un-Understood, milord!" The drone cowers; and Megatron chucks him aside.

Megatron transforms back into robot mode and reconnects with his control harness. "At least all is not lost milord. You have been able to rid yourself of command codes for transformation; and the ship can be rebuilt; but it will take time." The drone tells him as it flies back in front of him.

Megatron fully reconnects with his harness and growls a little. "I have to know, did Dinobus survive?" He asks with little emotion. "No. He was totally obliterated; surely his spark has rejoined the Matrix by now." The drone tells him.

"Hmm…" Megatron frowns a little as he turns away from the drone. "Will you miss him?" The drone asks. Megatron whips around and raises his hand; threatening to destroy the drone. The drone cowers back; and Megatron lowers his hand slowly. "…I suppose in some way, I will miss him. He had been with me since the beginning; from the time we broke out of prison and stole the Golden Disk, to the start of the Beast Wars. He was a traitor; but he had honor; and although I mocked him for it; I did understand his honor. I will never forgive his treachery, but perhaps I will allow for his memory to live on untainted in my mind." Megatron somberly states.

"I had no idea, milord." The drone states. Megatron smashes the drone hard into the ground, "And keep it that way! Never bring this up again; do I make myself clear?" "Perfectly…" The drone groans as it slowly rises back up.

"Now, onto other business…" Megatron states, regaining his composure. "Yes, the mole drones have been deployed as per your instructions, to search for any Cybertronians who may have fled underground. Also, the sparks from the Predacon outposts have been added to the collection and the satellite drones have returned to space." The drone tells him. "Good…" Megatron states.

Meanwhile, somewhere not too far off in space…

"The ship's controls are malfunctioning!! I can't make heads or tails of this Optimus!" Rattrap shouts. "What's going on?" Optimus asks him as he pilots the ship. "You ain't gonna believe this; but Megatron's still attached to the ship!!" Rattrap shouts.

"WHAT?!" Everyone shouts, including Rhinox. "Yeah; from what I can tell. The ship's computer is glitchin' BIG TIME; but according to these sensors, ol' Mega-butt is still out there!" Rattrap shouts.

"Could be just a feedback loop…" Optimus states as he struggles with the ship.

The ship rocks violently as they continue through transwarp space. "Hey, what's goin' on? Having trouble steerin'?" Rattrap shouts to Optimus. Cheetor desperately tries to aid Optimus as he stands next to him at the controls.

Blackarachnia stumbles and Silverbolt catches her. She looks up at him pleasantly; although Silverbolt's not really sure why.

Suddenly Optimus shouts, "It's Megatron! He's trying to break free!" _Heh, maybe it wasn't my imagination after all…_ Rattrap thinks to himself as he looks at the monitor and sees Megatron break free. _Still; that does look awfully familiar…_ He rethinks to himself.

"Well; dat's the end of him!" Rattrap laughs a little, "…And us!!" Suddenly the ship is rocked violently as the computer's begin to spark and the crew is tossed around the cabin.

Cheetor slams to the ground in front of him as they finally exit transwarp space; entering a clear sky full of stars and the planet Cybertron in their view.

Back on Cybertron…

"Satellica to Lord Megatron!" Satellica states over the intercom. "What is it?" Megatron asks. "My long range scanners have detected an incoming ship; just leaving transwarp space. Energy signature matches that of the Autobot shuttle you told me to watch out for." Satellica states.

"Ah yes, Primal finally shows up. This will be the perfect way to test this upgraded form of the virus…one that will completely eliminate their ability to transform and their memories!!!" Megatron shouts.

"Satellica; prepare your defenses. Allow them to land; but ensure they encounter turbulence in space!" Megatron laughs cruelly as he orders the diagnostic drone to prepare the drones with the new virus for the Maximals.

Meanwhile, on the ship…

They all slowly rise up and look out of the window. "We did it! We're out of transwarp space!" Cheetor proclaims.

"And what's better Spots; that's Cybertron! We're home!!" Rattrap exclaims.

At that very moment…

"Satellica to all drones: Open fire on the Autobot shuttle!!" Satellica commands as all of the satellites within aiming range of the ship open fire on it.

Back on the ship, a barrage of laser fire pummels the ship; throwing everyone about the cabin.

"Why are they attacking us?!?" Cheetor yells as he tries to grab a hold of something for support. They all scream as the laser fire continues; exploding against the ship's hull.

The ship tumbles as the engine's fail. The satellite drones continue to fire upon the ship as it careens past them and plunges into the atmosphere.

"Satellica to Lord Megatron! The Autobot shuttle is intact; as per your request. It's entering the atmosphere now." Satellica reports in. "Good. Relay the coordinates to me so I can have the drones in place." Megatron states. "Acknowledged, my lord." Satellica replies.

"Oh and Satellica, good work. Remain in orbit and alert me of any incoming ships. Megatron out." Megatron states. "As you command, Lord Megatron…" Satellica trails off as she turns to the skies and watches for any ships that may one day come.

Meanwhile, the Autobot shuttle smashes through buildings and crashes to the ground. "Is everyone alright?" Optimus shouts as he rises to his feet slowly. "Yeah, but why did they attack us?" Cheetor shouts. "I don't know; but I don't want to stay here and find out!" Blackarachnia shouts.

"I'm with you Webs!" Rattrap chimes in. "Good. Let's go outside and see if we can find out what's going on." Optimus states as they all file out of the ship.

They walk outside; and start to walk away from the ship. "Man…it's too quiet…" Rattrap mutters as they look around at the silent planet. But then, they start to hear a faint rumble of engines off in the distance; growing louder and louder.

"I see something…" Cheetor states; pointing off in one direction. They all look and see a row of five tank drones coming towards them. "Hmm, nobody I know." Rattrap remarks.

Suddenly; the drones open fire upon them. "Everybody; move! We need to get to better cover ground!!" Optimus shouts as they all start running away from the drones.

Just then the drones transform and throw the special virus canisters in front of the fleeing Maximals. They pop and release a neon green gas; which attacks the Maximals.

"These blasts…they're devolving us!!" Cheetor manages to shout as he grabs his body in pain.

They scream in pain as their bodies are mutated back into their original forms and are rendered unable to transform.

Rhinox, Rattrap, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt flee in another direction and are unaffected by the virus canisters that got Optimus and Cheetor.

Out of nowhere; three jet drones swoop down and drop canisters in front of them. They pop and release the same neon green gas on the four remaining Maximals.

The effect is harmful to Rattrap and Blackarachnia; rendering them back into their original beast forms. However; Silverbolt and Rhinox are unaltered…physically.

"Say what?" Silverbolt states as he rises to his feet. "What kinda body is this? This ain't the body Megatron promised me!" He states; looking at himself.

"Jetstorm…afterburn!!" He shouts as he tries to transform; unsuccessfully. Just then; the same three jet drones swoop in and grab him; carrying him away.

Meanwhile; three tank drones roll towards Rhinox. _Tankor not understand…Tankor confused!!_ Rhinox thinks as he panics. The three tank drones grab him as he cowers in fear and drag him away.

The four remaining Maximals; now memory-less and scared; run for their lives in all directions.

Back at the downed Autobot shuttle, a team of drones work together to pick up the ship. They carry it off to a nearby hangar.

"Oh my…there were 6 Maximals in that Autobot shuttle!" Reflex shouts in shock as she sees the drones bring the shuttle inside and set it down.

She quickly takes off; running down multiple corridors as fast as she can.

She finally makes it to the central aerospace records hall. "I'm betting that the crew will be looking for their ship; if they survived the crash. I have to restore the aerospace records, now!!" She states as she frantically works to restore the records.

A few minutes later; she finishes and saves the records; turning it off of the time being. "There, it's done!" she shouts in joy. Just then, she hears a noise behind her; and turns to see four tank drones as well as Megatron's diagnostic drone.

"Megatron says that you're the last surviving Maximal on Cybertron. He has ordered me to capture you and take you to facility where the rest of the survivors' sparks were removed; inside the production plant not far away. If you do not struggle; Megatron has assured me that you will not be harmed unnecessarily." The drone states.

Reflex sighs to herself, "I guess there's no sense in running anymore. At least my death will be painless this way." The drones escort her out of the terminal and down the empty streets of Cybertron.

They make their way to the building; and enter it. Inside; a giant machine with a single beam optic looks down at her. One of the drone raises her up in front of one of the two spark extractors; and without any fuss or pain; her spark is removed and her body falls limp and dead.

Back with Megatron; two jet drones present him with the sparks of Rhinox and Silverbolt; now Tankor and Jetstorm. "I shall reunite you two with your long lost comrade; Thrust. Perhaps I will require your services one day; but for now, I shall try things my way. Surely four mongrel beasts can't outmatch my Vehicons…" Megatron laughs a little to himself.

He turns to one of his monitors and looks at it; seeing Optimus fleeing for his life from some tank drones, "Ah yes, and so it begins. The era where beasts are now the hunted; and the machines are the hunters. Hence; begins the era of the Beast Machines!"

**Author's Notes:**

It's over; the Beast Machines have begun!!

Please feel free to comment and tell me what you thought of the series! I'd really love to hear from you.

Thank you very much for reading the series; I appreciate it!

Transform your destiny. Transform, and transcend.


	27. Epilogue: Beast Machines Remnants

'Myth Wars': Epilogue: "Beast Machines: Remnants":

_It's been nearly a stellar-cycle since Lord Megatron's last communication..._ a single bot thinks as it floats through the space just beyond one of Cybertron's moons _...surely Lord Megatron must still have value for me...he could not have forgotten about me; could he have...?_

The bot, in vehicle form, reflects distant dim light from Cybertron's Sun off of it's metallic body, slowly turns and looks at Cybertron through two small open ports on the front of it's vehicle mode. "Satellica to Lord Megatron...I am requesting special permission to return to Cybertron. Your reply is paramount, Lord Megatron." Satellica states, opening a channel to Cybertron but only receiving static as a reply. _Surely Lord Megatron's communications are operational...what could be causing this extraordinarily long lapse in communication!_ Satellica thinks to herself.

She activates one of her outer thrusters, turning slightly up to view a constellation of stars. _All I have had to do out here is stare at stars cycle-in, cycle-out..._ she thinks with great displeasure, _...the last time he even bothered contacting me was after that ship containing the bot he reported as being called Botanica came to Cybertron. My drones shot it down, as per his instructions, and he commended me on a job well done, but at that time or even later on he never asked me to return to Cybertron; instead giving excuses of being able to handle it himself and later on stating his new generals Obsidian and Stryka were 'more than enough'..._ Satellica retracts her arms into her satellite body and activates a line of vertical thrusters on her back. _Since he is not responding at all, I surmise that it is my job to investigate the situation for myself..._

Within a few cycles she comes to the near orbital space of Cybertron, having passed Cybertron's inner moon along the way. _I have the distinct impression that Lord Megatron no longer requires my services, or worse has completely abandoned me..._ Satellica thinks to herself as she slows her approach and extends her satellite arms back out again. "Satellica to orbital drones: Search for any signs of Lord Megatron, no matter how minuscule. Surely if he can no longer communicate with me there will be signs of damage to the orbital communication relays, if nothing else. I can not accept that Lord Megatron has been simply 'ignoring' my calls all this time..." Satellica states, sending out instructions to her drones. They turn from their normal orbital patterns around Cybertron and start flying in all directions, scanning as they fly.

A few cycles pass by with no reply from any of the drones. _Cybertron looks...different..._ Satellica thinks to herself, staring down at the bright blue planet below her with clouds in the sky and waves of green, red and various other colors shimmering up at her. Suddenly a drone signals her and she turns towards it's direction. _At last...there is something! I knew that Lord Megatron had to be there still! I must access the status of the communication relays at once!_

She thinks to herself. Satellica flies towards the drone that signaled her, slowly starting to see 3 large objects shimmering slightly in the dim Cybertronian sunlight in the distance; closing in quickly. "Drone, what is it that you have -" She stops in mid-communication as she activates her emergency thrusters; stopping dead in her tracks. "No...it's not possible..." She mutters, seeing two bodies floating in front of her.

"Obsidian and Stryka...but how..." She stammers out in disbelief. Stryka turns to her and looks at her. "Open communication channel to generals Obsidian and Stryka." Satellica states, knowing full well she can not communicate verbally in the vacuum of space. "You...what are you doing here...?" Stryka asks. "I should be asking you the same thing!" Satellica states, transforming into robot mode and floating over to her. "What are you two doing here, in space! Has Lord Megatron lost that much faith in my abilities that he now must send two planet-based generals to do my job?!"

"Not at all, General Satellica..." Obsidian states, floating around and unable to right himself in the vacuum of space, "...we miscalculated the outcome of a battle with a Maximal, resulting in us being ejected into space as if we were just scrap..." "And more to the point we can't do anything here! We're literally helpless; we don't have rockets and thrusters like you do!" Stryka adds, scowling at Satellica. Satellica responds by activating her saw-blade claw and hovering it in front of Stryka's face. "I would surmise that you are at a distinct disadvantage then, correct?!" She asks angrily, staring down Stryka.

Stryka remains silent for a moment then sighs. "Forgive my compatriot's impertinence, General Satellica..." Obsidian states, still floating in slow motion in front of Satellica as small bits of debris pass by them, "...we are in your care now, it would seem. Lord Megatron has not come for us at all; but that is to be expected as he has his own issues." "Issues?" Satellica asks. "Indeed. Our Lord has been...down-graded; trapped in a tiny body. Stryka and I were attempting to reclaim his Grand Mal base but we were unsuccessful; ejected into space instead. I can only speculate as to what happened to Lord Megatron after that." Obsidian replies.

Satellica rubs her chin lightly, thinking to herself. "So you're telling me that Lord Megatron was incapacitated and left to fend for himself? No wonder he hasn't communicated with me in quite some time...he's probably not even able to anymore!" She states. "In any event I would suggest that we return to the planet's surface at once." Obsidian suggests. "Yes; I know that something happened while we were in space...I saw the planet change!" Stryka adds, causing Satellica to look over at her. "What do you mean?" She asks her. "While floating around out here I saw a bright flash of light on the planet, then the surface changed into that new look it has now; all shiny with different colors and more clouds..." She replies. "Interesting...so it was not my imagination..." Satellica comments, thinking to herself momentarily.

She waves her hands, signaling two of her drones. "Take Obsidian and Stryka in your embrace; as they can not navigate in space..." she turns to the empty vacuum of space away from Cybertron, "...Attention all drones: Report to my coordinates at once: We are invading Cybertron!"

"Invading Cybertron?! Are you crazy?!" Stryka asks, now being held by a satellite drone. "Of course not. You stated that Lord Megatron was incapacitated and something obviously happened on the planet...that, plus the fact that Lord Megatron is no longer in communication with us, must mean that we must go planet-side and assist him immediately! There is no time to waste!" Satellica replies, waving her arms around as she speaks. Obsidian and Stryka merely look at each other and then her and nod in agreement. "Your judgment is indeed sound, General Satellica." Obsidian replies.

Within a few cycles all of the space drones have assembled; creating a small flotilla into the distance. "You had quite an armada..." Obsidian comments. "Not that Lord Megatron utilized it after we destroyed the distant Predacon outposts..." Satellica comments, "...he even incorrectly told me that they were in the orbital space around Cybertron! I did manage to find them based upon the coordinates however...so it's all relative to me in the end."

"Satellica: Blast Off!" Satellica shouts as she transforms into vehicle mode and retracts the arms of her satellite mode in preparation for entry. "Wait, what about us?" Stryka shouts suddenly, "We're going to burn up on re-entry!" "Not to worry; you shall be protected by a drone; they will act as shields for you. After all; they are just drones and are disposable." Satellica replies as she turns back towards the planet, "All drones, descend to the planet now!"

Meanwhile on the surface, shortly before this...

"I still can't believe that Cheetor is now our commander..." Nightscream comments sarcastically to Rattrap, "I always thought you should be in charge." "Don't give me that, kid. You always followed Optimus," Rattrap replies, lightly smacking him on the shoulder, "...let me tell ya, kid, during the Beast Wars Optimus did put me in charge, but times change, ya know?" "I thought you didn't remember anything about that?" he asks, slightly confused. "I did get some of my memories back from patching into ol' tank boy before I found out he was Rhinox, remember?" Rattrap replies.

"I hope you two are still doing work..." Cheetor replies, carrying a small plant in a techno-organic pot. "Of course, sir..." Nightscream replies with a small laugh as they return to watering some nearby flowers. "Even though the sparks have been freed and the bots all got their bodies back; our job is never done..." Cheetor replies, taking out one of his swords to uproot a small weed, "...we now must ensure that Cybertron remains beautiful and prosperous; keeping Optimus' dream alive."

"Oh no here it comes..." Rattrap mutters, covering his ears. Cheetor raises his leg, striking a pose on a rock and looking out over the reformatted Cybertron. "Optimus sacrificed himself for us...he believed in us until the very end and never gave up. He died to protect not only us but all Cybertronians...his vision went beyond Maximal and Vehicon, beyond Maximal and Predacon...he saw what we could not: The greatness that comes from an united Cybertron and the harmony that technology and organics can have if they co-exist in harmony. His sacrifice, along with Megatron's, was not in vain...and I will do everything in my power to ensure it stays that way!" Cheetor preaches. "Is he done yet? I've heard this so many times now..." Nightscream comments, pulling his fingers out of his ears.

Nearby...

"Can I help you with that, my dearest?" Silverbolt asks, looking over at Blackarachnia planting a tree. "You always know what to say, don't you...?" She replies, smiling at him as he walks over to her and helps her. "This place is amazing...I'm sure that the restored Cybertronians will love it!" Botanica states, looking up at the glass dome of an indoor greenhouse. "I hope so too...we went through so much for them, after all..." Blackarachnia replies, "...I still haven't met too many of them, but there was no one in the ones I met that I knew..."

"Don't worry about that," Cheetor states as he joins them, "...they can't all be someone we know. There were millions of inhabitants of Cybertron! Still, I'd like to see Rhinox and Big Bot again...or, even Depth Charge or anybody that we lost in the Beast Wars; though I can still barely remember any of them..." "I guess it's possible; though I don't know..." Rattrap replies as he rolls over to Cheetor, "...Megatron was only holding the sparks of those he captured and removed the sparks of _on_ Cybertron, not those held within the well of Allsparks. But still, I guess it's possible that after the release of the sparks, those in the Allspark got released too. Who knows...only time will tell for sure." Cheetor nods in agreement and smiles at him.

"Hold on a cycle...I'm getting something..." Rattrap suddenly states, dropping down his visor. "What is it?" Cheetor asks, looking down at him. Rattrap's visor shines brightly as he rolls back a little. "...You ain't gonna believe this, but there's something coming in..." Rattrap starts, "...no, LOTS of somethings...hundreds..."

"WHAT?!" They all shout, now looking at Rattrap and having overheard his comments. "I can't tell what they are, but they're coming in from space; and over that way!" Rattrap points, and everyone looks to see a vast shower of burning objects entering Cybertron's atmosphere. "Well I could have told you that." Nightscream comments sarcastically, flipping his hair out of the way as he looks in that direction. "Maximals, move out! Let's check it out; it could be more incoming Maximals like Botanica!" Cheetor commands as he transforms into beast mode. The other Maximals follow suit and chase after him towards the incoming meteor shower in the distance; all the while a small metallic bird watches them from a nearby tree.

As the satellite drones finally finish re-entering the atmosphere, they start to slow their descent and transform into robot mode. Some of them change their legs into feet and walk around while others float above the ground, using their thrusters to levitate. As they approach and land on the ground Cybertronians flee in all directions, unsure and scared of the visitors from space. "What in the Allspark is going on here...?" Obsidian asks, getting released by the space drone that was holding him. "It's so...beautiful..." Stryka comments, looking around at the sheer overwhelming landscape before her. "I can't believe this is...Cybertron..." Satellica states, hovering above the ground and staring in disbelief as well.

"What did Lord Megatron do? This seems...impossible..." Satellica comments, turning to the other two Vehicon generals. "I do not believe that this is the work of Lord Megatron," Obsidian comments, regaining some composure, "...I am no longer detecting his spark." "WHAT?!" Satellica screams, grabbing him by the shoulders, "Lord Megatron MUST be alive! He is not so easily vanquished! It's near impossible!" "Of course it could be that he got another body or something...we did lose track of his spark when it was de-polarized as well..." Stryka comments, still staring in awe at the landscape, "...but I feel that he's really gone this time...there's a lot of Cybertronians running around; and that was not in Megatron's plan at all." "That is a most logical deduction." Obsidian adds.

"I don't believe it..." A voice comments and they all turn to see Cheetor and the rest of the Maximals standing a short distance away. "Maximals! They're still here?!" Stryka shouts angrily. "I am transformed!" All of the Maximals shout, transforming into robot mode and drawing their weapons. Satellica charges up her cannons on her shoulders as she stares down the Maximals when suddenly she feels a hand on her shoulder. "Don't." Stryka states, causing Satellica to turn to her in shock. "What is the meaning of this?!" Satellica asks, turning to face her.

"There is no more reason to fight, General Satellica," Obsidian states, "We lost the war." "Have you both lost your minds? I can't believe what I'm hearing...from Lord Megatron's generals, no less!" Satellica shouts angrily, staring down the two generals. "It's true...Megatron's gone; along with Optimus..." Cheetor adds, approaching them. "If I wanted to hear your opinion I would have asked for it, Maximal!" Satellica scowls, staring him since she's considerably taller than him, even if she wasn't floating already. "Is this true?" Stryka asks, going over to Cheetor. "Yes...Optimus and Megatron had a final battle...I didn't directly witness it in my physical body, but from what I witnessed as a disembodied spark I saw Megatron plunge into Cybertron's core with Optimus; which lead to a brilliant flash of light and then...the planet looked like this; and we were all back in our bodies...alive and all of the sparks freed as well."

Obsidian nods in agreement. "His words ring true for me; Stryka witnessed it from space and all of the evidence would support his statement." he comments. "Lord Megatron's...really...gone...?" Satellica asks, looking over at the Maximals and then back at the other two generals. "...Who are you anyway?" Rattrap asks, wheeling up to her. She looks over at him, calmed down to a slight degree but still on edge. "...My name is Satellica. I am the general of the Satellite Drones under ...the former Lord Megatron..." Satellica states, correcting herself as she speaks, "...I was the one responsible for shooting you out of the sky upon your arrival; as well as for shooting Botanica out of the sky as well."

"Are you serious? It was you?!" Rattrap growls, racing at her suddenly before Cheetor grabs his tail and holds him back. "Hey! Let it go; it's too late now!" Cheetor growls, pulling Rattrap back towards them. "Do not misunderstand, Maximal, I was simply following orders. If Lord Megatron had not told me to do it; I would never have shot you down." Satellica comments, "...still, I am sorry for what I did...now. For some reason, without Lord Megatron around, I feel I've lost all of my purpose in life now; and also I'm not really sure if what I did was right or not; following his agenda blindly..." "That was in your programming though, General Satellica. It was the same for all generals, even our predecessors Jetstorm and Tankor." Obsidian adds, placing his hand on Satellica's shoulder. "I can vouch for that..." Silverbolt comments with a groan.

"I'm still in disbelief though...this is a lot to take in..." Satellica comments, turning around and looking out over the horizon, "...Lord Megatron's destruction led to this?" "I'm not really sure how either, but with him and Optimus being reformatted; they ended up reformatting the planet as well..." Blackarachnia comments, standing next to Satellica, "...it's only been a dozen or so mega cycles since it happened, but it's a lot to take in, I know." "Actually, it does look similar to something I've seen before..." Stryka comments, causing Rattrap to suddenly look up at her. "Oh, that would be that hallucination-" He starts, only to have Botanica put her hands over his mouth, leaving Stryka with a blank stare before dismissing it.

Suddenly Cheetor stops and looks over at Satellica. "Wait...when were you made a general?" Cheetor asks her. "I was the first, before even Jetstorm, Thrust, Tankor or these two. I was made shortly after Lord Megatron took over Cybertron." She replies with a confused look. Suddenly Rattrap looks at her in disbelief. "No...you don't mean..." Rattrap begins, looking over at Blackarachnia; her jaw dropped in shock. "It would seem that means something to you all...care to fill me in?" Satellica comments, staring at them. "You're...you're not Satellica..." Cheetor begins, "...you must be someone else!"

"What nonsense is this now?!" Satellica shouts, throwing her hands up in the air. "First it was Lord Megatron dying then these two telling me the war over and now you're saying I'm not who I think I am or something?! I'm really starting to have trouble with all of this..." She states, shaking a bit. "Hmm..." Obsidian begins, "...I do remember this; Lord Megatron did mention about how that Maximal Silverbolt over there was once the Vehicon General Jetstorm..." "It's true! Rhinox was Tankor and Waspinator was once-" Nightscream begins when suddenly Satellica grabs her head in pain and screams.

"Satellica?!" Botanica asks, looking over at her as she holds her head. "No...no...NOOOOO!" she screams, shaking her head, "That name...why does it cause me such pain?!" "What's she talking about? Is she alright?" Nightscream asks, "All I said was Rhinox was Tankor and Waspinator was-" "ARRRGGGHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOO! MEMORIESS!" Satellica screams, falling to the ground and holding her head.

"What is it, Satellica? It's almost as if..." Cheetor begins when he suddenly realizes something, "...she knew him!" "Who?" Rattrap asks. Cheetor opens his mouth to speak, but leans over and whispers in Rattrap's ear. "She knew Waspinator?!" Rattrap screams, only to be smacked by Cheetor. "Why do you think I didn't say it out loud?!" Cheetor shouts, only to be interrupted by Satellica screaming in pain again. "My mind...what are these images...?" She cries out, looking around at the Maximals and the two Vehicon generals.

Rattrap rolls over to her and raises up his tail. "Maybe I can help you figure out who you were..." Rattrap comments, sticking his tail into her head. "What are you-" She starts, only to suddenly deactivate. "To finish her statement, what are you doing?" Stryka asks. "He's accessing her data-banks," Cheetor states, "...there might be some trace of the Maximal she once was in there. If she has memories, she might know who she was before; or maybe we can figure it out."

"Doubtful...you don't even have all of your own memories." Stryka comments. "Still it's worth a shot." Cheetor comments. "You guys are different, you wouldn't understand what it's like to be reprogrammed and forced to become someone else!" Silverbolt states, stepping towards them. "That is true, Maximal," Obsidian begins, "...even early on, with the Machine Wars as they were called, we always had our mission to defend Cybertron. Although our leaders changed over time, we always held true to who we were and our objectives. It would seem that the same can not be said for our Vehicon general predecessors, including Satellica here."

As Rattrap probes her mind, he sees them on a ship heading towards Cybertron. "Well that explains how she got here...but still no clue who she is or how she knows-" Rattrap starts when he suddenly stops in mid-sentence. "What is it?" Cheetor asks him. "No way...it can't be!" Rattrap shouts as he raises up his visor, "...Dinobot was...here? He made it back?"

"Dinobot! But he died on prehistoric Earth! I know he did...I remember it now..." Blackarachnia comments. "But she remembers it...and he looks...different..." Rattrap comments, resuming the video of her memories. He sees Dinobot holding his arm out, apparently with his hand around her throat though he can't see Dinobot's hand at all.

_"That's not what I meant; you stupid bird!"_ the bot says, looking over at Dinobot as Rattrap continues to watch the memory playback, _"I meant why Cybertron? You're a Predacon!"_ _"In case you had not noticed; I'm a Maximal now!"_ Dinobot replies. Rattrap raises his visor and the playback stops. "Bird...Dinobot was a raptor..." Rattrap states, trying to understand it. "Perhaps she didn't know what his beast mode was?" Silverbolt comments. "No...there must be something we're not remembering..." Rattrap comments, resuming the video.

Rattrap watches as the ship is tossed around, under laser fire from objects near Cybertron too distant to be seen. He sees Waspinator bounce through her field of vision. "Well that explains how she know him, at least a little...also how Waspinator made it from pre-historic Earth back here to Cybertron." Rattrap comments. The ship zooms in closer and closer to the planet and she sees their attackers come slowly into view: an array of small Cybertronian defense pods; much smaller and weaker than the Satellite Drones and Satellica herself. "I was wondering who attacked them, since Satellica wasn't around yet...Megatron used the planet's own pre-existing defense array as a weapon!" Rattrap remarks, still watching as the ship plows through the pods and starts to heat up in re-entry. The video ends abruptly after that as everything goes black moments after the ship clears the atmosphere and slams into the ground.

"Well that didn't really answer anything..." Rattrap comments, raising his visor and looking at Cheetor. "Is there any more?" Cheetor asks, and Rattrap pulls down his visor again. "Let me check..." he says, scanning through her data-banks. "There is more...but this is on Cybertron now..." Rattrap comments as he starts watching the video.

It starts with two large doors opening and Megatron floating in his control harness suit; then turning to face her. _"Bring them forward…"_ Megatron commands unemotionally as he summons the bridge to him from the door; piece by piece. Rattrap sees Megatron get closer and closer, realizing that she is moving closer to him by being carried. _"Megatron…is that you?"_ she asks, looking up at him. _"But of course…"_ Megatron smirks, _"I'm surprised you made it here from Earth. Fortunately for you; you came after I deployed my virus; and my virus did not effect you…"_ "The virus was already deployed...?" Rattrap comments, still watching the video.

_"What do you mean?"_ she states. _"I made a virus that wiped out all life on Cybertron."_ Megatron states. _"Even you are not capable of something like that!"_ she retorts. _"Do not question me insolent one!"_ Megatron growls, _"It was Cryotek; yes; but he's not here now. I can take credit for his achievements; after all; he will become part of me when the time comes."_ Rattrap raises his visor for a moment. "Cryotek...why does that name ring a bell...?" He asks, but everyone around him shrugs, "Still, interesting to know that Megatron didn't make that virus...figures ol' Megs couldn't do that; never really remembered him as the chemistry-expert."

_"And what about Wazpinator?"_ Waspinator speaks up; Rattrap having missed part of the video while his visor was raised. _"Well…considering you've been loyal to me in the past; to a point; and that I did implant the Thrust personality program into you…I shall spare you."_ Megatron states. Rattrap raises his visor again. "The Vehicon programs were already in them?! There's a LOT I don't remember!" Rattrap exclaims. "Just watch the memory recall, Rattrap! You'll miss something else-wise!" Cheetor commands and Rattrap lowers the visor again.

_"I don't want to lose you to Thrust again!"_ she cries out with emotion, Rattrap having again missed some stuff. _"Oh…?"_ Megatron queries. _"Well…um…"_ she begins with a little shyness. _"She's my birdie-bot! I love her!"_ Waspinator interrupts; causing her to sigh in embarrassment.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Blackarachnia screams, "Is that why that idiot wanted to go out with me?! He thought I was his old love interest?!" "There was something weird about that..." Silverbolt comments, "...but I don't remember Waspinator ever having a significant other..."

_"Now, now…"_ Megatron begins as he gestures a couple of diagnostic drones over; which are carrying an empty shell. _"What's that?"_ she asks, looking at the shell, with its long slender form, large shoulder pads, twin shoulder mounted cannons and jet thrusters. _"That…"_ Megatron begins, _"…is you."_ "At least we know we have her memories..." Rattrap comments, ignoring the video for a moment. _"Playtime's over!"_ Megatron growls as he calls forth two spark extractors; located on the ends of long snake-like tubes. _"Whatever happens Waspinator, I just want you to know one thing…"_ Nemesis states as the spark extractors move in front of them, _"…I love you; and I will meet you again, one day…"_ _"Wazpinator love you too…"_ Waspinator states with a smile.

"...I really wish I hadn't saw that..." Rattrap comments with a groan in his voice.

_"Ugh! Such biological mush!"_ Megatron screams in frustration; pressing a button. Waspinator screams in pain as his body makes noise; like his circuitry being rewritten. _"My name is Thrust…"_ Waspinator begins with a changed and deeper voice, _"…and I shall obey you and your every command, lord Megatron."_ Rattrap raises his visor again, "...He already was Thrust? I wonder if the same thing happened to you and Rhinox?" Rattrap comments, looking over at Silverbolt. "I would assume it's possible, though I can not recall for certain." Silverbolt replies with a shrug.

_"Noooo!"_ she screams as she Rattrap watches the video again, seeing her reach out in vain towards Waspinator only to have the video abruptly end again. "That's it..." Rattrap comments, looking up at Cheetor, "...No one ever said her name; nor did I see her face in a reflection or anything. I have no idea who she is; but evidently she was with us during the Beast Wars."

"That's impossible..." Cheetor states, thinking to himself aloud, "...I mean I don't remember everything, but I don't remember anyone who dated Waspinator, much less anybody else with us during the Beast Wars." "Whoever she is, the fact remains that she's not Satellica in her spark," Silverbolt comments, "...We need to return her to her former Maximal self. We owe it to her." Cheetor nods in agreement and turns to Blackarachnia.

"Well, it worked on you..." Blackarachnia begins, holding a spark extractor hooked to a scanning device and a container of green goo, "...since Optimus isn't here anymore to reformat her; I suppose this is the only way." The Maximals all look over at the two Vehicons generals who have been quiet all this time. "Do you have any objections?" Cheetor asks them. "No...actually, we would prefer to stay in our vehicle forms, to be honest..." Stryka states. Obsidian nods in agreement, "We feel that this is the best way to atone for our sins under Megatron; to be left with these bodies as a constant reminder of what we did wrong and why need to never do it again." Obsidian adds. "...I wasn't asking about that." Cheetor replies with a sigh, leaving the two generals to look at each other momentarily. "If you're referring to Satellica; do as you wish. She obviously was someone else before, so we have no objections." Stryka replies.

With that Blackarachnia places the device upon Satellica's body after Rattrap removes his tail interface from the back of her head. The device starts to work and Satellica regains consciousness, crying out in pain as the green goo drips out and the scanner spins wildly. Her body begins to glow and suddenly a brilliant flash of light flashes out, causing everyone to cover their eyes. At that exact moment all of the satellite drones fall dead; collapsing in piles of metal and deactivating completely.

As they all open their eyes a golden bird lays on the ground before them; her feathers shimmering in the light and mixtures of techno-organic patterns strewn throughout her body. Slowly she begins to open her eyes. "Wha...what...?" She begins, her voice distinctly different from Satellica's. "Welcome back, Maximal," Cheetor comments, reaching down to her with his hand, "...what's your name?"

"Maximal?!" She shouts, standing up and swatting away his hand. He steps back, stunned. "I am no Maximal, moron! I'm a Predacon...always have been and always will be!" She screams at him. "A PREDACON?!" Everyone shouts in disbelief, looking at each other then back at her. "You're the idiot who assumed she was a Maximal!" Rattrap shouts, smacking Cheetor; only to receive a scowl back.

"And for your information, my name is Nemesis!" She says, looking over at Rattrap now. "Nemesis? But that was the name of the Decepticon warship that shot down the Ark!" Blackarachnia recalls. "Duh! I was named after the ship! Something that iconic in Decepticon/Predacon history is worthy of being named after; wouldn't you agree?" She comments, flapping her wing at her. Blackarachnia looks at her, unsure of how to respond.

"What have I become? Where are all the rest of the Predacons?" Nemesis shouts, looking around to only see the two generals and the rest of the Maximals. "You're some kind of bird now...a phoenix, I suppose..." Cheetor comments, "...as for the Predacons; you're on Cybertron now; and a reborn one at that. There's no more factions; we're all just Cybertronians now." He comments. "Well, there are those Transcendent Technomorphs, or TransTechs as they call themselves..." Rattrap begins, "...those guys just appeared right after the reformatting, claiming to be a new breed of Transformer or something. I'm guessing that they were old-" "What does any of this have to do with the current situation?!" Blackarachnia shouts, staring him down. "...Nothing..." He replies, rolling back sheepishly.

"Huh? I...do remember...something like that..." Nemesis begins. "The TransTechs?" Rattrap asks. "No, coming to Cybertron, moron!" She shouts angrily, "...but I remember another Predacon with me...my..." She begins, then a tear forms in her eye, much to her surprise. "...I can cry...? But I'm a machine..." She states, wiping the tear away with her feather.

"You're a techno-organic beast now; you can cry...it's not unusual..." Cheetor comments, "...but you remember the other Predacon with you?" "Yes...Waspinator..." She says, "...is he...gone? You said no more Predacons were left!" Nemesis shots, staring at him with terror in her eyes.

"Well...he's not gone...exactly..." Cheetor begins sheepishly, looking over at Rattrap. "I'll go get him." Rattrap replies, rolling away. "Go get him?" Nemesis asks, looking at him in confusion. "You see...he was turned in Thrust...and then back into Waspinator...but the process was...um, not complete?" Cheetor states with a shrug.

Nemesis stares at him blankly, then sighs. "Just bring him here already! I'm sure that it's just a -" she states when she sees Rattrap roll over with him in a cage. "Wazzpinator not deserve this! Wazzpinator want freedom!" He cries out, being held in a small cage. "WASPINATOR?! What happened to your head?" Nemesis shouts, rushing over to him.

"...Who this?" Waspinator asks, looking over at Rattrap; causing Nemesis to recoil in horror. "You remember me, don't you?" She begins, then looks at herself, "...alright, I look different now, but surely you must remember your birdie-bot!" She says and just as she does, Waspinator's Thrust eyes light up. "Birdie-bot? You...you're here?! I remember now!" Waspinator shouts, buzzing about in his cage.

"Can you let him out?" Nemesis asks him, and Rattrap opens the cage slowly. "You have no idea how hard it was to catch him..." he comments as Waspinator flies out and over to Nemesis. Instantly Nemesis catches him in her beak and tosses him to the ground and holds him in her claws; much to everyone's shock.

"So...what's this I hear about you trying to date that spider-chick over there?!" Nemesis growls, glaring down at him. "You knew that?!" Blackarachnia shouts in disbelief. "Rat-boy over here was plugged into me," Nemesis begins, "I can remember some things from being Satellica now; but I really remember him activating my memories...especially a certain bug-boy of mine CHEATING ON ME!" "WAZZZPINATOR SORRY! DO NOT KILL WAZZPINATOR! WAZZPINATOR FINALLY GET NEW LEASE ON LIFE; NOT WANT TO DIE YET!" Waspinator screams, pleading for his life.

"How do I get out of these feathers?" Nemesis asks, looking over at Rattrap. "Huh?" He asks back. "Transform, you numbskull! Surely I must have a robot mode!" She shouts back. "You have to find your still-point and then say, 'I am transformed!'." Rattrap replies. "Like I got time for that!" Nemesis shouts angrily.

"Oh...so that's how it's done..." A voice states, and everyone turns to see a small shrew standing nearby, watching them from a rock. "Who are you?!" Botanica shouts, looking over at the shrew. "My name is Reflex...I'm a Maximal, like all of you!" She comments with a smile, "I was one of the reformatted bots you guys saved; but I didn't know how to transform...sadly..." she replies sheepishly.

"Great, another one..." Nemesis replies, still holding Waspinator in her talons. She focuses for a moment then says, "I am transformed!", transforming into a robot mode with golden wings and a small veil in front of her face. "You know how long it took me to do that, and you get it on the first try?!" Rattrap screams angrily. "I was an assassin in my previous life on prehistoric Earth; naturally I'm always in my still-point." She replies with a smirk. "But you just said 'Like I got time for that' a click ago!" Rattrap cries back. "What, can't I say something? It's troublesome to say a command code like that..." Nemesis replies with a wave of her hand.

"I am transformed!" A voice shouts from nearby and they turn to see Reflex still in her shrew form. "I guess it'll be a bit harder for me..." She replies, looking down, then suddenly looks up. "Hey...you guys wouldn't happen to know if a bot named Dinbous is here, do you?" She asks.

"Dino...bus?" Cheetor asks. "Yeah, Dinobus Prime!" Reflex replies with a smile, only to hear dead silence then look to see all of the Maximals with their jaws dropped. "...you don't know where he is?" She asks, confused.

"DINOBUS PRIME?! He's a Prime?" Cheetor shouts in disbelief. "You're talking about Dinobot, right?" Rattrap asks, holding her by the shoulders. "Yeah, him. He was a former criminal, fled to Earth with Megatron..." she begins, when Rattrap starts shaking her. "When in the heck did he become a Prime?!" He shouts, still in disbelief. "I don't know...he was one when I met him. I guess on Earth?" She replies between shakes.

"Yeah, it was on Earth..." Nemesis chimes in, "During that time of the Beast Wars that you guys called the Myth Wars; he became a Prime by getting a Matrix Annex." "Myth Wars? Sounds like someone's talking about myths alright..." Nightscream remarks sarcastically.

"Putting that aside, you knew Dinobot - er, Dinobus Prime?" Rattrap asks. "Yeah. He looked like a bird and he was big, powerful, strong with a brooding personality and such an incredible voice..." Reflex replies with joy in her voice. "Oh...that's why she called him bird-boy..." Rattrap replies, remembering Nemesis's memories.

"...I really need to find him." Reflex replies, looking at them, "Do you know where he is? I haven't found him at all...I've been looking all this time; then I saw you guys over here after that meteor shower and thought you might know something; since you seemed to be in on the action." "In on the action? Sister, we WERE the action!" Rattrap replies with a smug grin, "We're the reason Cybertron was saved! We came here from prehistoric Earth and fought Megatron's Vehicons and saved Cybertron!"

"Prehistoric Earth?" Reflex states with sudden intrigue, "...You weren't perhaps on a small shuttle that crashed to Cybertron with a giant robot ape, were you?" They all look at her in disbelief. "You were! I knew it! I thought I recognized your beast modes when I watching you!" Reflex replies with excitement, "I left a record of your ship's location in the aerospace records for you! I hope it was useful!" "It was you?' Blackarachnia shouts, "It was useful! I thought Megatron deleted everything, but those were still left...I was wondering how too, speaking that our ship landed AFTER he took control of Cybertron and there should have been no one left to record it, speaking that his drones probably wouldn't do it...I'd imagine Megatron would have kept that information to himself and himself only!"

"I feel that we have overstayed our welcome." A voice states and they all turn to see Obsidian and Stryka start to leave. "Honestly I forgot they were still there..." Nightscream mutters to Botanica quietly. "Where are you guys going?" Cheetor asks. "I'm not sure..." Obsidian continues, "...Perhaps we will retire, but for now I feel that continuing to defend Cybertron is still our mission. Farewell..." Obsidian states, floating away with Stryka. They all watch as they slowly leave. "Farewell...friends..." Cheetor replies somberly.

"They were nice..." Reflex replies, "...I'm so glad everyone's getting along now!" "Now?" Botanica asks her. "Yeah...it was chaos before. I was a reporter prior to Cybertron being conquered by Megatron...I witnessed the whole thing!" She replies. "Really? I've always wondered how Megatron took over Cybertron...please tell us about it!" Cheetor says. "I can tell you later..." she begins, "...right now I want to find Dinobus! I know he was here..." "Why do you want to find him so badly?" Nightscream asks her. "Because...he saved me...and I..." she begins with a shy voice, "...I sort of fell in love with him..."

"This day is just full of surprises..." Nemesis comments with a groan as Reflex continues to talk with joy in her voice. "He was so nice to me...he went to fight Megatron by himself; defending me from those Vehicons long enough for me to plant that information for you guys. Of course in the end they removed my spark, but I never forgot him...his courage, his honor, his amazing voice..." She says as she swoons over him in her own little world.

"I can relate to that..." Blackarachnia states, holding Silverbolt's hand. "I don't remember a Maximal reporter named Reflex...though it's been a long time since I was on Cybertron prior to the recent events..." Botanica states, thinking to herself. Reflex suddenly gets a sheepish look. "I...was also once a Predacon..." she states, looking away, "...I don't really want to talk about it though. I did become a Maximal though, and eventually a reporter for them."

"It would seem that you and Dinobus share a certain kindred spirit then." Cheetor comments with a smile. "Yeah!" Reflex replies with a sudden smile, "He was a Predacon before, like me, and became a Maximal...but he became a Prime, something I could never hope to be!" She starts laughing and everyone laughs a little too.

She closes her eyes and places her claws over her chest. "I am...transformed..." She speaks and suddenly transforms into a tall, slender robot mode. "Wow...she's...pretty..." Cheetor mutters to himself quietly, "...Dinobus is a lucky bot..."

"Just thinking about him made me calm enough to transform..." she states, "...I can't thank you enough for showing me how to transform. Now I feel I can face him; if I find him..." "I believe in my spark that you will." Cheetor replies with a smile. "It's possible that ol' Dino-butt survived," Rattrap comments, "...after all he did make it back to Cybertron."

"Indeed," Reflex replies with a sweet smile, "He's all I have now, he's my life. I'm making it my mission to find him and to be with him when I do. I know that he's out there...somewhere..."

She raises her hand to the sky and then closes it. "Even if he is gone; I will be re-united with him when I, too, join the Allspark..." she states somberly, then smiles again, "...But I prefer to believe he's alive and out there, waiting for me. I will find him...he showed me bots can change and become something more than themselves; they can become heroes and spark-mates. After all, if a Predacon criminal can become a Maximal Prime; anything's possible, right?"

Cheetor nods in approval. "If you find him...tell him I said hi, will ya?" Rattrap asks with a smile. "I will...thank you all again, for everything..." She says with a smile as she starts to walk away. "I will find you, Dinobus Prime...my one true love..."

They watch as she walks away, then Nemesis turns to Waspinator who's been buzzing around near her. "You'd better stay true to me now, like she is to Dinobus, you hear me?" Nemesis says with a sadistic smile. "Wazzzpinator understand...but Wazzpinator want to be able to transform like shrew-bot too!" He whines. "I can arrange that-" Blackarachnia begins as she looks at Nemesis, but Nemesis cuts her off. "No..." she says, looking at him, "...at least for right now, I like him like this. It's perfect to keep him in line."

They all start laughing together as the same small metallic bird watches them from a nearby tree. "At least they're happy again...seems like everyone's got a partner but me!" Cheetor comments with a laugh. "Don't forget about me!" Nightscream adds as they all start to walk away together. The bird flies away, off into the distance.

Far away, in a small metallic shack...

"Things certainly have changed...albeit for the worse..." A voice mutters in the darkness, staring blankly at 3 TV monitors. The small metallic bird lands on an open window and then flies over to the arm of the mysterious bot. "Ah, welcome back, Cro..." the bot states, raising his arm up as the bird transforms a little and plugs into his arm, "...what do you have to report?"

The bot sits quietly for a moment, then Cro unplugs and transforms back into a bird. "So...the Vehicons decided to play nice and one of them even got reformatted..." he states, looking around in disgust, "...how droll."

"I spent 2 stellar cycles in stasis after my failed body transfer with Megatron..." he begins, standing up; his blue Transmetal 2 dragon body coming into the light, "...'Cryotek, trust me', he said...I was a fool to trust Megatron yet again! After the theft of the Golden Disk I was framed for it by him no less! He even had a subordinate of his own, Gigatron, take the fall for it!" Cryotek slams his fist into one of the TV monitors, "...though I suppose that was for the best, since I was able to have my lawyer use that as proof of my innocence...Gigatron's imprisonment saved me, along with my own alerting of the Maximals to the theft; which lead to my promotion as a Predacon-Maximal ambassador...from there it was only a matter of time before the Maximals trusted me completely..."

He turns to a blank wall and runs his fingers across it, "...I suppose my protege was useful after all. Even in betrayal; someone I viewed as my own son was true to someone he viewed as his father; protecting me in a way I did not understand at the time..." He starts laughing to himself while Cro pecks lightly at his shoulder, "...The theft of the Golden Disk was totally worth it!"

"After my 2 stellar cycles in stasis, I awoke to find Cybertron lifeless; only controlled by Megatron and his drones..." Cryotek states, looking at Cro, "...you know that it was turbulent 30 stellar cycles between my protege betraying me and his return, but nothing compared to the time I spent plotting my revenge...then to be foiled by the Maximals defeating him...it's almost insulting! His spark was to be mine...he owed me that much!" Cryotek clenches his fist in anger, gritting his teeth as well.

He finally sits back down and summons the remaining two TV monitors, generating images on them. "No matter...for I have no discovered a more profitable gamble..." He looks at images of the Vok and Quintessons on the monitors and smiles, "...to think that the mere conquest of Cybertron and a simple disk from a worthless species once controlled my life and my destiny...but now I am my own master! Fate will bend to my will...all fates..."

He stands up, stretching his wings in triumph. "You and the other Deployers have proven very useful, Cro...watching over Cybertron in the shadows for me while I explored the multi-verse; thanks to the help of the Quintessons...who would have thought that they would end up being useful!" Cryotek laughs to himself, "...just stumbling upon some ancient technology left here by Alpha Quintesson after his experiments on Cybertron's past would send the Quintessons running; claiming that it was rightfully theirs and that I should return it...fools; how easy it was to strike a bargain with them and gain access to space bridges and time portals..."

Cryotek walks over to a small control panel and opens a space bridge. "...Now no one can stop me! The Vok, the Quintessons, even Unicron himself all are just pawns for my conquest of the multi-verse!" Cryotek laughs insanely as he walks into the space bridge, "No one is safe from the wrath of Cryotek...no matter what universe you may hide in!"


End file.
